Salvation 1
by madeline.james
Summary: After John's death. Dean and Sam aren't getting along, but could this be their last hunt together? Hurt!Dean! Guilt!Sam!
1. Chapter 1

Sitting alone in another run of the mill, greasy diner, Dean bit angrily into his burger. Nothing seemed to be able to calm him down right now. Not even his favourite food. He threw the food back on the plate, not even considering touching his French fries which sat abandoned with the ketchup beside them. Grunting dismally he lifted the sweet soda to his lips and downed it quickly, swallowing the bubbly torrent hard.

Lifting a hand he caught the pretty waitress's eye and asked for the bill so he could leave, the quicker he got back to his room the better. Maybe Sammy wasn't gone yet and they could talk it out, somehow make things better. Take back his words... oh god Dean thought. If only he could take back his words. In every way this hunt had gone horribly wrong.

Throwing the money on the table he didn't even acknowledge as the waitress tried to flirt with him, as he left he noted the napkin with a quick number and love heart scrawled across it. They hadn't even shared a whole conversation and she was still keen to throw in for a piece of him.

Sliding into the dusty black Impala he slipped a hand in his pocket and pulled out his mobile phone, there were no missed calls like he had hoped or even an angry message from Sam addressing his pig-headedness. Growling a little the phone got tossed on the empty passenger seat as the motor purred to life, the one thing in his life that Dean knew he could rely on. No matter what happened the Impala had always been there for him. Thick and thin, and he had also put her back together a few times.

As he drove, Dean reluctantly leaned over and picked his phone up. It was bad enough he was the one going back to make things better, like always. Sam never made the first move to apologise or make things better. It just showed how unstable and lonely Dean was right now. He couldn't bare the thought of being left alone again. Especially not since dad had died. They both needed each other; they just needed to get past their dispositions as different people.

The phone rang a few times before an angry what responded. 'Listen dude, I'm sorry I said those things. Can we just get past all this little bitch shit and just focus on the job?' Silence followed Dean's sad attempt at an apology, he started to wonder whether or not Sam had hung up on him. Removing the phone from his ear he saw they were still connected. 'Sammy?'

'Sammy is a fat kid.' Was the only reply he got before the connection went dead. Unsure of what this meant, Dean hoped they were okay and turned into the hotel car park. Slamming the door he grabbed his duffel from the back seat and made for their room, key swinging on his finger as he walked.

Opening the door, all the lights were off and one of the beds was made, a few notes on the pillow. The room was clean. Walking inside, Dean looked around the small area checking the bathroom and the toilet before sinking down to the unmade bed he had claimed three days ago. Lifting his phone to his ear again, this time Sam didn't answer.

Sighing, Dean laid back on the bed. Pulling his duffel towards him with one arm he pulled out the bottle if whiskey he had bought earlier that day and dads journal. He couldn't leave town without completing the job. Whether Sam was there to help him or not. It shouldn't have been to hard in the first place, but the two of them had been all over the place with arguments and disagreements about where to start.

Rolling over on to his stomach, Dean flipped the journal to their case. It looked like a recurring theme. Their dad had worked something similar in the town only five years ago. Dean had thought he had ganked the spirit, but after they arrived three days ago and compared their notes with the ones in the journal it showed their dad must have slipped up somewhere.

He doubled checked that his dad had gotten the coordinates for Naperville, Illinois right and that they were in the same place. They were. Running a hand through his hair and over his face, Dean gave a dejected sigh and sat up. Taking a large mouthful of the whiskey he looked down at the journal once more, trying to work out where to start. He settled on the latest victim's house. All he could think to do for now was check for Sulphur residue and look for any EMF in the house. He would check the body after that and research more based on his findings. It was either Poltergeist or Witch.

Arriving at the victim's house he was glad to find it empty and that there were no cops guarding the place. Easily picking the lock he let himself in and shone his torch around the furnished rooms. It was easy to pinpoint where the murder had taken place, the centre of the lounge room rug was soaked through with blood. Dean lifted the expensive carpet, checking to make sure there were no markings or messages under there. But there was only blood, and lots of it that had even soaked through the wooden floorboards, letting it fall back down again he looked around the rest of the room. It was equally blood spattered.

'Dammit Sammy,' He muttered. 'Why did you have to choose this case to buck up and leave on?' Passing the bloody walls he went in to the kitchen but there was nothing there, no Sulphur lingering in the air and no readings on his hand made EMF reader. Heading for the basement he held the machine in front of him, noting a small spike in the metre as he moved lower down in to the house.

A rustling met his ears as Dean reached the final three stairs. He stopped, balanced like a cat as he struggled to catch anymore noise before moving fully into the basement. Shining his torch around he looked for a light switch but there either wasn't one or not close enough that the small beam of his torch could reach it.

'Anybody there?' He called out, his father would have flogged him for risking it like that, but without Sammy there to watch his back if something did lurk in the dark corners, he wasn't really in a could care mood. Stepping down in to the basement fully the EMF suddenly spiked as his torch went out. Surrounded by complete darkness, Dean tried not to panic. He had been in worse positions before, this was nothing. Taking a deep breath he felt the goose-bumps rise over his skin, moving in waves across his body, causing him to shiver horribly.

Holding his hands out in front of him, Dean cursed himself. He couldn't tell left from right in the impending dark, he was stranded walking around until he found the stairs back to salvation. Bumping his feet against something he released a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding and placed his hands down to see if it were the stairs. But suddenly there was nothing there, only cold air and his ragged breath. He was starting to freak out a little now.

Dean almost jumped out of his skin when his phone started to ring, he couldn't believe he had been moving around in the dark for so long with a light in his back pocket. Pulling it out he saw Sammy's name under caller ID. Flipping open the phone to answer he used the glow to find his way back to the stairs.

'Dude what the hell, leaving me to deal with this shit on my own!' Dean cursed as he found the stairs.

'I know, I'm sorry Dean. It's just, you can be so much like dad some times and it does my head in. I acted without thinking, I'm on my way back to the hotel now. Are you still there?'

'Yes I'm still here. Wasn't going to skip town with a creepy unknown lurking around killing people, you should know me better then that.' Dean slowly made his way up the stairs.

'Well I'm half an hour out, I'll see you soon.'

'I'm not at the room, last victim's house. Think I found something so meet me her- Arghh...'

'Dean?' Sam's worried voice rang out from the phone before it flew from Dean's hands as he fell backwards in shock, crashing down the stairs noisily and painfully. 'Talk to me Dean!' All he could hear was his brother's voice, there was no light from the phone or anything else, just the darkness, shock and pain.

Gasping in pain he couldn't work out what had happened. One minute he was talking to Sam, then the next there was something in front of him. A man or a woman or something, they had a blade of some kind then the pain and shock made him fall... But what caused the pain before the fall? Grasping around for his phone, Dean shouted in pain when he tried to move one of his legs.

'Sammy...' He mumbled, feeling the effort leave his body as his head slumped back against the cold concrete, he felt something warm spread across his face, but he didn't have the strength to stay awake and work out what it was, and passed out.


	2. Salvation 2

2.

Sam pushed the stolen car from the hotel car park as hard and fast as he could, throwing care to the wind. It wouldn't even affect him if the cops tried pulling him over. He would just keep going. Anything to get to Dean quicker, in fact the cops would be great he thought. They would clear the road for him, but then his mind kicked back over and remembered the cops would only cause more trouble and raise questions over Dean being in a locked crime scene.

Slowing down only a little bit, he slammed a hand on the steering wheel. Hitting Dean's number again he swallowed the lump in his throat as it rung out. 'Come on Dean, answer the damn phone you jerk!' Despite being half an hour out of town he made it back in fifteen minutes, tapping impatiently on the steering wheel with his hands, five more minutes from the house and five minutes to far from his brother. Distracting his mind he pulled up in front of the house in more record time and jumped out even faster, running for the door he threw it open and looked around for the basement door.

Stopping in front of the doorway he took a deep breath to steady himself before going down. He didn't know what he was going to find, he could only pray Dean was okay. Just a bump on the head from a fall down the stairs maybe. Turning the knob it didn't move, there was no key or lock on the door. Something was trying to keep him out.

Sam slammed his shoulder and full body weight into the door but it didn't give. Reaching to his belt he pulled out the handgun he carried there and fired a few rounds in to the door knob, kicking it open then he shone his flash light down the staircase and felt his heart stop for a minute. The light illuminated his prone brother, pale and unconscious in a pool of blood around his face. Gripping the rough banister Sam called tentatively out to his brother, knowing he wouldn't reply. When he reached the bottom he rolled Dean over on to his back, noting his phone lit up some few feet away.

Turning his gaze from the phone back to his brother, Sam fell backwards on to his ass in shock. All coloured drained from his face and his breath started coming in short gasps. 'Oh God.. Dean.' Sammy didn't even think about any other injuries his brother may have gotten from the fall, he lifted him in to his arms quickly, running on pure adrenaline.

With his big brother in the back seat of the car Sam slammed his foot down on the gas and headed for the nearest hospital. He remembered seeing a sign as he drove in for Edwards Hospital in the town centre. Sam couldn't help but worry about Dean, whether it was too late or not, if he had been too long to stop any irreversible damage. He didn't even know how he was going to face his brother when he woke up, this was something neither of them was prepared for.

Pulling in tot he hospitals emergency entrance, Sam left the car running and the door open. Grabbing Dean's unconscious body he ran inside, yelling for help until one of the nurses came out and helped him, steering him towards a bed where he laid his brother gently, squeezing his shoulder before the nurse took him away, telling Sam he couldn't follow but she would send someone out soon with news.

Sinking against the wall and sliding down to the floor, Sam buried his head in his hands before tearing them through his hair and gripping against it, pulling slightly, letting out a pained growl of frustration and guilt. How could he leave his brother like that, leave him without back up or no protection? Dean wasn't as strong as he made out to be, sure he could manage a job or two on his own; but lately he had come to rely on Sam. But he had left him there alone, to walk right in to danger over a few price words shared after a bad day of arguments.

Rising slowly, Sam pulled his phone out and stared down at it. He should call Bobby he thought. Let him know what had happened, that Dean was in hospital. He needed somebody else right now, and Bobby was as good as the company could get for the two brothers. Especially since they didn't have their dad anymore, though Sam found himself slightly thankful for the absence of their dad right now. The thought of what he would face from John Winchester, Marine; was almost unbearable.

Though Bobby wasn't as bad with the judgement and blame game, he still would deserve what came his way from the only father figure they ever really had in their lives. Bobby was there for them in more ways then their own father, Sam hoped the sound of the senior hunters voice was help calm him down right now, while he waited for news from the doctors on Dean's situation.

Hitting Bobby's name he took a deep breath and help the phone to his ear, willing the man to answer.

'_Singer.'_

'Hi, Bobby it's me Sam.' He tried to keep the tension from his voice, forced a calm tone out through his teeth and over his relenting tongue. He just wanted to scream and cry, and hit things right now. He would never forgive his own weakness.

'_Everything alright boy? You sound a bit tense there, something I need to know?'_

'I need you to come to Naperville, Illinois. Dean's in the hospital, he got hurt on the hunt and I think it's pretty bad, I could really use your help right now.' Sam held a hand over his eyes, stanching the welling tears that threatened to spill over. God he was so stupid.

'_How bad is it, are you okay kid?'_

'I'm fine Bobby. I don't know yet, still waiting for a doctor to come get me, they wouldn't let me through with him.' The old hunter was silent over the phone for a minute before replying, he announced he would be there in around three hours. He was on the road already, on the way back from a job he'd just worked. 'Thanks, I guess I will see you soon, and Bobby, thank you.' Sam hung up just as a doctor came through the emergency room doors.

'Are you the one who brought the unconscious male in fifteen minutes ago?' Sam nodded, anxious for news. 'You can come through now, but I should warn you that the news isn't going to be good. If there is anybody you need to call I suggest you do it now.' The doctors voice was firm, but it was what he needed right now.

'I already did, our father is coming now.' Sam told the doctor, it was a lie they had used many times over the years, especially when John wasn't around and one of the boys had gotten sick or hurt in Bobby's care. Plus it saved them needing to use a scam for health insurance, Bobby had both the boys under his.

'Well come through this way then, do you have a name?'

'Sam Singer, and he's my brother, Dean.' The doctor nodded and wrote the names down on the board he was holding. 'Does your brother have any allergies to pain medication or other medicines?' Sam shook his head, 'does he do drug or smoke?' The doctor just kept asking questions as they walked through the ER department, Sam just wanted to see his brother. Know if he was okay. He shook his head again.

'Before we go in,' they had stopped out he front of a personal room 'I need to ask what happened, these are serious injuries your brother has sustained. Do we need to call in the police, did someone harm your brother?' Sam knew what he was underlying, did he hurt his brother. He wanted to say yes, because initially it was his fault, but that would be pointless.

'Uh I'm not too sure, I was on the phone to him. We'd had a fight and I sort of drove off. I called him to apologise and ask where he was, he told me he was walking back to our hotel room and then he shouted and that was it... the phone went dead.' Sam hoped he would have the chance to run all this through with Dean when he woke up, before he got asked anything else. 'Doc, is he going to be okay?'

'I'm going to assume you understand some of the injury, as you brought him in yourself. We are still waiting for some tests to come back, x-rays and CT Scans, but the real damage wont be known until your brother wakes up. He has head trauma, a few broken bones. But it's his eyes I'm worried most about.' The doctor opened the door and Sam stepped in, his brother was still unconscious, propped up with pillows and filled with tubes.


	3. Salvation 3

3.

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry!**

Bobby pulled up out the front of the hospital and pulled his mobile phone out. Dialling in Sam's number he asked where he was, and what room number. The young man sounded terrible over the phone, his voice was tired and strained, and Bobby could tell he was struggling to maintain himself. He had never known two brothers to be as close as these boys were.

'What room are you in boy?' He asked when Sammy answered, he didn't waste time with any pleasantries. They could share them when they were face to face, but for now he had to get there. 'Alright I'm out he front now so I shouldn't be too much longer.' Stopping at the reception to the ER Bobby asked for Dean Singer's room, she smiled softly at him and led the way. Edward hospital was small, but it seemed fairly updated and nice. More then he could say about the walls of hospitals he had walked in his lifetime. This one was a peach pie in comparison.

'Here you go sir, your sons are in there. I will let the doctor know you have arrived. He should be along shortly with test results shortly anyway.' The nurse opened the door for him, he thanked her and stepped into the room too be greeted by Sam in a bear hug that almost crushed the soul from his body, knocking his baseball cap to the ground.

'Damn son, let me in the bleeding room before you start in like that!' Bobby exclaimed when Sam let him go, bending over to pick his cap up for him. Bobby accepted the hat and pulled it back on, looking around the youngest boy.

For a minute it didn't quiet click what he was looking at, then he realised it was Dean beneath the bandages and tubes, he had his left leg propped up on a pillow in a long white cast, his right arm in a compression bandage. But that wasn't what was most concerning, he couldn't take his eyes away from the crepe bandage that covered the older brothers eyes. Bobby felt his mouth open and close over lost words, what on earth had happened?

'What happened?' Bobby turned on Sam who shook his head. 'You better start talking boy.'

'I was on the phone with him when it happened Bobby, I have no idea. We'll both find out when he wakes up, your guess is as good as mine right now.' Sam sank back in to his chair and let his head fall limply into his hands. Bobby walked over to him and squeezed his shoulder tightly.

'Where were you when this happened kid? Why weren't you two together?' Bobby asked the question that was confusing him the most. 'You two never separate on a job, not unless you know what you're doing. And from what it sounds like, neither of you have nought from zero on this thing.'

'I should have been with him, I know that Bobby.' Sam didn't lift his head from his hands. 'We had a fight, we've been fighting all damned week actually!' Looking up in annoyance Sam met Bobby's eyes and he knew what the little brother was talking about. The two bickered like a gay couple all the time.

'And? What happened then?' Bobby demanded. Sitting across the sleeping mans bed.

'I went off, took a car and drove away. I was fifteen minutes out of town when he called to try and apologise but I hung up on him. Then I called him back and we just organised to meet when all this happened...' Sam waved his hands over Dean. 'It's my entire fault, it should be me lying there like that, not Dean.'

'I know it might seem that way boy, but you know it's not. Dean should have known better then to go in there on his own, he should have called me or someone else in if you weren't in on the game. It's his own damned fault for getting in this mess,' he looked over at Sam who was shaking his head a guilty look on his face. 'Though don't get me wrong, you deserve to feel a little guilty. If you two could just keep it civil for one second.'

Sam nodded in agreement as the door opened and the doctor from earlier walked back in with more scans and results. He had been and gone three times on the hour since Dean had been brought in, checking his stats and writing things down. The only news he had brought was a few broken bones.

'Mr Singer I take it? I'm Dr Marc, I will be looking after your son.' Bobby shook hands with the young doctor, nodding. 'We have the results from your sons CT Scans. Everything looks alright at the minute, he has a small bleed in the frontal lobe, and a small fracture in skull but its minor and should by all means heal correctly on its own.' Bobby nodded, taking it all in.

'What's all this bandage shit over his eyes for?' Bobby looked from Sam who had paled and looked away, to the doctor who gave him a sympathetic smile. 'Doc what aren't I being told 'ere?'

'When your son was brought in he had suffered a physical trauma to his eyes.'

'Yeah what does that mean? A few bruises and some swelling? What?' Bobby demanded.

'Someone has cut directly across your sons eyes with a very shape blade, we are thinking, judging by how clean and deep the cuts are, they were done with a barbers blade. We don't know the full extent of the damage yet, but when he wakes up we should know, but it isn't looking good.' Bobby turned his back on the doctor and walked back to his chair, sitting down.

'Cut across his eyes?' The doctor nodded. 'That doesn't sound too good...' Bobby was lost for words, he looked across at Sam but the youngest Winchester was doing his best to not make eye contact with anyone, guilt was dripping from his features. 'Thanks Doc...' Bobby muttered as the doctor moved around him to check Dean's stats again, writing more down on his board before adjusting one of the tubes that was slowly dripping a clear liquid directly to the boy's veins.

'I just lowered the pain medication; this should help him wake up on his own. The next move we take will be impacted on the amount of pain your son is suffering. With wounds like this, it is always hard to judge the impact on the patient. There isn't too much we can do for the eyes, we have stitched them for now, but that will only be temporary. We may be looking at removing the eyes themselves and replacing them with special ceramic orbs, they are professionally fashioned to match the patient's eyes before the trauma.' Bobby didn't quiet understand everything the doctor was saying to him, but he nodded and took it all in as best as he could. All he seemed to hear clearly out of all the medical jargon and speak was that the brightest hunter of their era would never see again.

Sam stood up abruptly and left the room. Bobby caught the tears running down his cheeks before the door swung shut behind him. Shaking his head, Bobby knew there was nothing he could do right now. The doctor nodded in his direction once more before leaving the room also, leaving him alone with the eldest Winchester. Moving the chair closer to the bed he took Dean's bandaged hand and gave it a small squeeze before standing up and going after Sammy.

Dean was going to need them both when he woke up; something told him this was not going to be an easy trip for the oldest Winchester.


	4. Salvation 4

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry!**

4.

Sam was sitting five feet away from the room, he was too scared to go much further away in case Dean woke up or something, his head was resting on his hands as tears dripped down on to his shoes. He didn't even care about crying in public right now, the doctor's words had finally hit home and he realised how much damage he had actually caused Dean. His older brother would never be able to see again. The news was going to kill Dean, and it would be all Sam's fault.

'Sammy?' Bobby sank down to his haunches beside him, placing a gentle hand on his knee, squeezing it reassuringly. 'Everything will be okay, your brother's one tough cookie kid. What's a little eye sight compared to having your life still?' Sam shook his head at the hunter.

'He won't see it that way Bobby, he would rather be dead.' Sam pulled his hands through his hair with a little too much force. 'God... you haven't seem him lately Bobby. Ever since dad died, he has been so different. Like no regard for his life at all, always throwing himself in the thick, way over his head. This might be that last little nudge for him... what if he gives up for good now?' Sam let his face fall back in to his hands in misery.

'Listen son... I know you don't want to hear this. But you need to pull yourself together and be there for him when he wakes up, you think he is going to blame you, but he won't. And what's this talk of trying to kill him? Nonsense. I aint ever come across a person so proud and centred on life.' Sam looked up at Bobby with red eyes; he hoped he was right in what he was saying. All he could think though was that Bobby hadn't seen Dean lately, since they left his car yard, how much risk he took.

'Thanks Bobby, we should probably go back in now, sounded like he could wake up soon.' Sam pushed himself up with a grunt, wiped his eyes roughly with his sleeves and took a deep breath before covering the five feet from Dean's room and pushing his way in to the room, returning to his bedside vigil beside Dean, squeezing his hand on occasion; praying for a response.

Xxx

Sunshine bore down on him like a weightless blanket of warmth as he lay back against the lush grass in the meadow. Dean held his eyes shut against the welcoming glare, comfortable in the suns rays. He let the sounds of the meadow wash over him, the relaxing rustle of the maple trees, soft tweets of the birds nestling in their branches. He also thought he could hear the babble of a soft moving creek somewhere in the distance. But he didn't care about any of that right now; he was so at peace in the warm sun.

Dean couldn't remember the last time he had felt this calm and at ease with life, he couldn't imagine anything bad that went bump in the night entering this place, it was pure good. Smiling even wider he breathed in deeply, releasing the pleasant air in a small puff.

Suddenly the air caught in his throat, icy and bitter. Dean sat up quickly, the familiar goose-bumps owing his chilled flesh again, biting into him. Beginning to shiver, Dean opened his eyes but he couldn't see anything. The darkness closed in on him violently, freezing. It was like a smother weight that sat on his chest, and held its bitter hands, hard over his eyes. Stumbling around, he struggled to find some of the previous light, desperate to get back to it.

Gasping now, he tripped over his own feet and slammed hard in to the ground. Something warm began to trickle down his cheeks then, he thought he may have been crying but it felt thicker then water, slower then a tear would move. Reaching his hands to his face, Dean probed his sticky cheeks wondering what the liquid was. His fingers settled on his eyes and he let out a howling scream of pain, falling to his knees as he felt the empty slit sockets. Screaming over and over again, till vocals were torn he began to sob pitifully, falling to the black ground, succumbing to the cold and fear that ebbed into his skin slowly, giggling and mocking him from the never ending black.

Xxx

'Dean!' Sam shouted out, slapping his brother lightly on the cheeks, while Bobby shook him by the shoulders, the two hunters struggled to calm the boy down. His screams were ringing out through the room, pained and rough. 'Wake up Dean, it's just a dream! Dean!' Sam slapped him a little hard but nothing helped, panicking he threw the door open and shouted for help. People were stopped, staring at him from the hall way with shocked faces.

Two nurses and the Dr Marc came running towards him, one of the nurses stopped to grab a cart before pushing her way past him. 'What's happened?' The Dr asked quickly, taking Dean's pulse and feeling one of his cheeks. 'Slight temperature, but his hands are freezing. Nurse get an extra blanket, push a sedative to calm him down, I'm going to raise his pain medication again. I want another CT scan, I want to know what's going on in there.' The doctor signed a small bottle that the nurse handed him before she filled a syringe and injected it directly into Dean's arm.

Pressed against the wall, Sam reached down and took Bobby's hand. The entire colour had drained from his face, panic and anxiety had clasped his heart tightly, making him dizzy and breathless. What had he done to his brother?

'Calm down boy, you didn't have anything to do with these.' Bobby muttered to Sammy, he nodded in return but he couldn't control himself, he leaned in to the wall, tears running freely down his cheeks as Dean's heart rate slowly started to decline and settle back to normal, his writhing body going still once more, chest falling an rising steadily.

Dr Marc shared a concerned look with the nurses in the room, Sam watched him shake his head slowly. 'I want that CT as soon as possible, best to make sure that had nothing to do with the bleed, I also want full bloods and tox screen ran. Have another nurse come in and change the bandages over his eyes, little chance but I want to make sure there is no infection in the wounds.'

'Is your brother prone to nightmares of that severity?' Bobby looked to Sam who shook his head, there had been the occasion where they would both recall something terrible and have a nightmare, but never something of this level. 'There's a chance it could just be the result of the trauma, but we will run the tests just to be safe.' The doctor walked out leaving the two nurses behind, one was settling a blanket over Dean, while the other one argued with someone over the phone.

'Here let me,' Sam took over the blanket duty and tucked it tighter around Dean. He looked down at the pale pallor of his brothers exposed skin. The nurse busied herself with the cart then, pulling out syringes and empty tubes. Sam was glad his brother was unconscious. There was no way in hell he would allow some woman to jab him with that thing, not willingly.

'Everything will be okay Sammy.' Bobby touched his hand. 'I'm going to go and get us some of that sludge they call coffee from down the hall, and food from the vending machine. You look dead on your feet.' Sam nodded at him, not taking his eyes off the nurse as she filled tube after tube with his brother's blood.

'Okay Bobby, thanks. I'll try and eat something.' Sam forced a smile as he pulled his chair back over and sank back in to it, reclasping his brother's hand. He laughed softly, imagining how gay Dean would say this moment was, and call him a girly bitch.

'Do you want a blanket hun? You look a little cold there.' The nurse placed a blanket over Sam's lap before leaving the room with her blood samples, the other nurse remained behind, tapping her pen impatiently on her knee while she waited on the phone.

When Bobby returned, Sam was lightly dozing; he jumped in shock when the hunter dangled the coffee and packet of chips in front of his face. Sam's stomach grumbled hungrily but he threw the chips on the bedside, taking a large mouthful of the below average coffee. He swallowed in distaste, watching the nurse still. She shared a few quiet words before hanging up. She picked Dean's board up and wrote something down.

'Somebody should hopefully be down in like, maybe ten minutes or so? They will take your brother for another scan.' The nurse smiled kindly before walking out, Sam watched her go grinning.

'What are you smiling about boy?' Bobby asked gruffly, from across Dean's bed.

'Just thinking how much Dean would love to hit on that nurse right now...' Then it dawned on Sammy... Dean would never see how good looking any of the nurses were, ever again. 'What have I done to you Dean...?' Sam hadn't meant to say that out loud, he cast his eyes down, away from their second fathers judging gaze and let the tears fall freely down his face.

Instead of ten minutes, it was a shocking two hours before two male orderlies came and took Dean for his CT scan. Bobby stayed behind in the room while Sam went with him, he was too nervous that his brother might wake up anytime, and didn't want him to be alone with strangers.

It wasn't too long before they were back in the room again, waiting on more results. Sam took his place by Dean's side again and accepted his fourth cup of Jo from Bobby. The chips still lay uneaten on the bedside, his stomach had been growling at him longingly for food but he was too tied up to eat. Bobby tried to force him to eat an hour later but he just couldn't seem to bring himself too, but poured a glass of water for himself instead.

'Boy you can't punish yourself like this, it just isn't right. There aint nothing you can do, if you're too weak and hungry to keep you're head up.' Bobby growled at Sam, throwing the pack of chips at him for the fourth time. 'And I swear to god boy, if you throw them away one more time I swear to god I am going to shove them where the sun don't shine.' He threatened, but Sam didn't listen and just left them on his lap, squeezing Dean's hand for the hundredth time that hour.

Casting a look at his watch, Sam was shocked when his clock read back three in the morning, he didn't realise so much time had passed since they arrive here at three a clock this afternoon. He then realised Bobby may have had a point, he hadn't eaten anything sustainable since eight o'clock that morning. Looking down at the chips, he considered opening them, but his hands wouldn't do what he wanted and his mind wandered back to Dean, hoping and praying he would wake up soon.

As his mind began to wander again, Sam remembered the look on Bobby's face as the nurse had peeled back the dressing and bandages over Dean's cut up eyes. Bobby showed a look that threatened to bring up his stomach contents. Sam knew how he felt, the moment he had seen them for himself, bleeding at the bottom of the stair case; he had wanted to throw up.

'Why won't he wake up Bobby?' Sam asked quietly, shocking the older hunter. They had been quiet for half an hour now, only the sound of Dean's steady heart beat on the monitor and his shallow breathing, 'why wont he just open his eyes and say everything's okay, when can I go home?'

'I don't know son, but maybe you should get some sleep too, you look like hell.' Sam shook his head and sat up a little straighter, brushing his mop out of his eyes. 'Don't do this to yourself.' Bobby begged but Sam didn't even respond this time.


	5. Salvation 5

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry!**

5.

Dean knew he was dreaming again, but he couldn't scream anymore, it felt like his throat had been torn with razors from all the screaming and crying from earlier. He was rolled into a foetal position on the cold floor, sobbing quietly. The pain was unbearable, but he couldn't seem to stop himself, his eyes just kept oozing blood in place of the tears, the only thing that was warm in this place.

Reaching up a shaking hand he probed the bloody holes one more time, checking to make sure it was real, that his eyes were gone, leaving behind nothing but bloody slits. More blood leaked around his fingers this time, they came away sticky and wet, the blood running down his cheeks and over his chin now. He had made them bleed more. Dean felt something stringy like wire in his hands, rubbing it between his fingers; he wondered what it could have been.

Out of nowhere, burning hot pain burst through his eyes, screaming he clawed at them, feeling material and padding come away this time, and then more sticky blood and wire. Gasping through the screams, he struggled to sit up, he felt himself up high, on something soft and warm. The cold ground was gone, and his feet weren't touching the ground. Trying to stand up in agony, he found the edge and slipped off.

Hitting the ground with a moaning thump, Dean heard the hot blood drop on the ground. Why couldn't he see still? Wasn't he awake now? Out of that horrible dream? Trying to stand, he felt another burning pain in his leg, reaching down he felt something hard around one of his legs; he couldn't tell what it was though. Pulling himself forward with his aching arms, he gasped when he felt the material of someone's jeans. Tugging on them, he tried to talk but nothing would come out.

'Wha-what?' Dean sighed with relief when he heard Sam's voice. 'Bobby turn the lights on, quickly.' Oh thank god... Dean thought, the lights were just off, that's why he couldn't see. Of course. He heard the click of the light switch, but no light came on. It must have been broken. 'Oh my God! Dean!' He felt someone get down beside him, taking his arms. 'Get a nurse, quickly!'

'Sammy?' Dean whispered. 'That you?'

'Yeah it's me man, just hold still don't move. How did you get out of bed, and oh God man... what have you done?' Sam's voice was full of strain and concern, Dean couldn't understand why.

'What's with the lights man, wont they turn on or something?' Looking around wildly, Dean stopped and fell back against Sam, resting his head on his younger brothers heaving chest. 'It's stupidly dark in here for a hospital don't you think?'

'Look Dean, try not to talk alright? Just keep calm and don't move you're going to pull out all the tubes and things. Dammit man, you cracked your cast.' He felt a hand near his leg and realised he was talking about the hard thing around his leg.

'I tried to stand up...'

'Shhh man, don't talk too much.' Sam hushed him like a baby, rocking him a little.

'What's going on man? You're treating me like a child. Quit it.' Dean grimaced against the pain in his eyes. 'Don't they give you pain killers here?' He grumbled.

'You pulled them out. Just stop talking alright; you're going to do more damage then good.' Sam's voice was so motherly; Dean wanted to crack another joke but thought against it. The pain in his eyes was making him nauseous. 'You going to be sick?' Dean nodded quickly and turned his face what he assumed was away from Sam and threw up.

'Ah thanks dude, always thought my jeans needed new colour.' Sam laughed lightly, Dean wiped his mouth and apologised groggily.

'M'head hurts man...' Dean felt himself falling backwards again; he tried to hang on to reality but slipped back to the cold and the pain. He felt his body start to convulse as he fell hard against the cold concrete.

Xxx

Groaning loudly, Dean caught a new voice that wasn't Sammy's, he heard Bobby's respond and tried to sit up but a firm hand pushed him back down again, he felt soft restraints around his wrists. What was going on? There was more padding around his face again, it itched real badly. He just wanted to tear at it, get it away from his aching face.

'We think when he fell out of the bed it caused the fracture to spiral a little more. We are going to keep a close eye on him, and move him to ICU so that he is constantly monitored. If there was any chance of repairing the damage to his eyes, it's gone now. When he tore out the stitches he did more damage, we are looking at removing them. It won't be for at least another week though; he lost a lot of blood last night.'

'So it looks like he is in for the long haul then?' Bobby asked. Dean looked towards the voice.

'He will be in here for at least two more weeks, maybe more depending on his ability to function on a day to day basis.'

'He will have us with him.' Sam spoke, tense and upset. 'We will help him as much as we can, he won't be alone.'

_Won't be alone in what? _Dean struggled to sit up again, but felt the same hand push him back down. After one more attempt he gave up, flopping weakly back on the pillow, yanking his arms, trying to get out of the restraints.

'Dean Will you stop? Don't make them sedate you again. Please?' Sam begged him, Dean went still and sighed.

'What wont I be alone in?' He was surprised to hear his own voice shaking so much, what was going on? 'Hello? I know there are three people in this room right now, and you all have answers.' Nobody responded. 'Answer me!' He growled, wishing he sounded more strong and dominating, but his voice sounded pathetic and weak, wispy and overused.

'Sammy please...' He cried.

'What do you remember Dean?' Sammy asked softly, avoiding the answer.

'Ah I was at the diner, and you hung up on me, then I went to go do something and you called me again, I don't remember anything after that.'

'Small memory loss is normal after a head trauma; you may or may not get your memory back. Dean, I'm Dr Marc, I have been assigned to your case since yesterday afternoon when you were brought in. I know you don't remember, but when you were on the phone yesterday with you brother, somebody attacked you. Do you remember that at all?'

Dean hoped he was shaking his head.

'When you were attacked, they used a barber's blade on you...' The doctor trailed off and Dean sensed something shifting their weight beside him.

'And?' Dean demanded.

'I'm afraid they inflicted a substantial amount of damage to your eyes. I'm not too sure if you remember the events of earlier this morning, but you clawed the stitches from your eyes. Unfortunately, you will never see again. We have rehabilitation centres in the hospital and in the town. We can help you learn how to live a normal life again, without your sight. We have also started organising for you to be given prosthetic eyes. They are ceramic bulbs made to match the eyes you had before the accident.'

Silent, Dean tried to take the news in. He was blind. His eyes were going to be removed, and replaced with fake ones that would be as good to him as a bag of marbles. He would never see again, ever. Not another pretty face, Sammy's, Bobby's... or even his own.

He was blind.

Struggling to hold back a sob, Dean laid there dejectedly. Nobody was saying anything; he jumped violently when someone laid a hand on his shoulder. The warmth was slightly comforting, he realised by the gruff grip it must have been Bobby.

'Say something Dean... please?' Sammy begged him, but he couldn't seem to form words. They wouldn't come to mind, and he couldn't think of what he could say. What was he supposed to say? Hey who needs eyes? No, Dean just sat there in silence, struggling to come to terms with the news.

'I wish I was dead.'


	6. Salvation 6

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry! Also on another note, I haven't ever over dosed on Morphine, and Google doesn't really tell you much about what happens if you survive so I am just guessing and going by what happens when you do OD. Medical lingo aint my thing!**

6.

Dean didn't even know he was going to say it, and was shocked by the monotone and lack of emotion in his voice, he felt it sink in to his stomach and his chest, close over his heart and turn it to stone. He didn't want to live like this, not if he couldn't do what he was best at.

'Don't say that Dean.' Sam said, Dean jumped again when he felt his brother take his hand and squeeze it. He couldn't muster the effort to squeeze back; he was already giving up on life. 'Please Dean, don't do this. You can still live with out site, loads of people do it!'

'I don't care Sam; I'm not like, loads of people. You should understand that, I'm useless now.' Dean growled, pulling his hand from his brother's grip and clenching his hands in to fists.

'I'm going to go and see about finding you a bed in the ICU, and organise a few other things. I will leave you with your family, while you take in the news. Mr Singer could I speak with you outside for a minute?' Dean listened as the steps walked out the room and the door opened and closed. He was in his own room, he caught bustling noise before the door shut, and he was still in the ER.

'I'm so sorry Dean; I never would have walked out on you if I knew this was going to happen. Please, please don't give up though. I don't know what I would do without you, I'd have nobody else.'

'You'd have Bobby.' Dean muttered, not really listening. He wasn't in the mood to take in Sam's self pity crap right now. 'I just want to be alone right now Sam, I'm tired.' Dean hoped he was turning his head away from Sam, hating every moment of not being able to see. It was driving him insane already and he had only been awake for less then fifteen minutes.

'I'm not leaving you like this, not in a million years.' Sam declared, unwrapping Dean's hands from their clenched fists and twining his fingers in with Dean's, he felt his brother squeeze his hand tightly but he didn't return the effort. 'I know this is going to be hard for you, but we can make this work. We can move in with Bobby, and you will get to know your surroundings and settle in, and then it will be much easier from there.'

'And hunting Sam? What do you expect I do about that huh? Just sit back and retire like some one legged retiree in the war? Throw up my guns and sit back while you and Bobby go and out do your thing without me?' Dean growled, trying to wrench his hand free from Sam but not succeeding. His brother's grip was firm and determined.

'Don't Dean; don't turn this in to some macho shit like dad would. You're better then him okay? You can work something out I'm sure, you wont have to be completely out of the hunt, you aren't fully handicapped by this!'

'How Sam? How am I not "fully handicapped" by this? Please explain that to me, because I can't see myself feeling my way into some house to shoot something I can't see, with a gun I won't even be able to reload. So please, enlighten me smart ass, tell me how to do my job with no eyes?' Dean succeeded in pulling his hand free this time, wincing when the straps pinched into his skin tightly.

'If you aren't going to bother with life then why should I then? Should I just kill us both rights here? Because I honestly don't see myself lasting too long without you Dean, I need my big brother no matter what shape he's in.' Dean listened as Sam's heavy footsteps marched around the room, stop, fiddle around with something, chucking things around before stopping.

'Here we go,' he muttered to himself, footsteps resting by the bed again 'this should do the job don't you think Dean? Morphine, and a nice decent sized vial of it too. There's plenty of vials here too, enough to finish us both off.' Dean couldn't tell what his brother was doing then; he felt something being tugged around his wrist, a sharp needle move around his elbow. 'Just say the word Dean; I will end this for the both of us.'

Unable to say anything, Dean waited for the rush of the drugs.

'Oh what, you have nothing to say now?' Dean could hear the temper rise in Sam's voice, the hysteria and pain. 'Maybe I should dose me first; I should have enough time for you before it kicks in right? I mean, I don't really know much about this, but lets see.' Dean felt the syringe leave his arm with a prick.

'Sammy!' Dean growled but his brother didn't reply, all he could hear was too fast breathing and crying. 'Sammy. Somebody help!' Dean raised his voice as high as he could manage, when his brother stayed quiet and nobody came, he wiggled the heart monitor from his finger and hoped his flat line would call people in.

'Your turn Dean, not too long till you get what you wanted now.' Sam's voice was shallow and weak, words starting to slur. Dean began to panic. What had he done, he kept calling for help as the sting of the needle hit his arm again.

Like a cool rush of water the drugs hit Dean's system like a truck as the door slammed open, voices started shouting as he felt the needle hang from his arm and heard his brother hit the ground. 'Sammy!' He gasped; this wasn't what was supposed to happen. He should be the one dead, not Sammy or his father, everyone died for him and he couldn't stand it. He just wanted to die so nobody else could suffer, he wouldn't let his little brother die for him. 'Sammy!'

Xxx

Opening his eyes groggily, Sam looked around the room. It was small and bare, no windows and just a door. Sitting up with a heavy head and cotton mouth, he licked his cracked lips with a thick tongue. The only furniture in the room was the bed he sat on and a toilet and basin, bolted to the ground. The door had a large window in it, and small ledge with a little door in front of it.

That's when he remembered what had happened, what he had done. He was on suicide watch. Sam sank his head in to his hands and started to cry. He had tried to kill himself and his own brother, the man he idolised above anything else in this world. Bobby was going to rip him a new one for trying something as stupid as this, but he was desperate and wanted to knock Dean back to reality and wake him up. Make him realise he didn't want to die, not really.

Standing up, his legs felt like lead, there was an IV taped to one of his arms. God he felt like shit, his head may have been filled with nuts and bolts, jangling around making his head ache. Walking over to the door and leaning on his IV he looked out the window and tried to get someone's attention. He needed to go and see his brother, be by his side and make sure he was okay. A nurse caught his attention and stopped.

When she opened the door, he recognised her from Dean's room. She gave him a disapproving look and checked his IV fluids and listened to his chest with her stethoscope and taking his pulse. 'What were you thinking Sam?' She asked softly.

'I wasn't... my brother scared me, said he wanted to die.' He replied plainly, stupidly.

'So you thought you would kill him and yourself at the same time? What would you have done if he died and you survived? Or the other way around?' The nurse was firm with him, brisk. Like a mother would be, Sam was great full to her for not treating him like a child. He deserved to be punished right now. 'How are you feeling anyway? We forced as much as we could out of your system, but we will have to regular tests, make sure nothing has been damaged internally.'

'I feel like a truck ran me down several times, all tyres.' Sam moaned, leaning heavily on the IV stand. 'I deserve it though, I was so stupid!'

'Don't beat yourself up too much.' The nurse paused. 'Maybe a little for being such an idiot, but trust me. This is not the first time this has happened here. Or any hospital for that matter. Family members attempt this more then you would imagine I'm afraid.' Sam shared a sad smile with the news, but it didn't do anything to make him feel any better.

He felt rotten inside and out, Dean probably hated him and didn't want to see him ever again now. Sam wouldn't blame his older brother if he did feel that way; he deserved that and so much worse.

'How is Dean? And my dad?' Asked Sam, the pretty nurse looked up at him as she counted his pulse once more.

'Your pulse is a little weak still, how about I get you a wheel chair and supervise you for a bit? I can take you to see your brother, how does that sound?' Sam nodded eagerly. The nurse smiled and left he room, locking the door behind her.

Looking around himself, Sam made his slow way back to the bed. Who'd have thought killing yourself would hurt this much both physically and mentally. Sam noticed how short the IV line was, and smirked. Probably a precautionary tactic so patients wouldn't hang themselves.

Soon after the nurse returned, Dean's doctor in tow. He looked a little glum and put out. 'How are we feeling?' He was nowhere near as nice as the nurse was. He was more gruff and impolite.

'Like shit.' Sam replied.

'Mia tells me your pulse is still a little slow, any trouble breathing? Is it laboured at all? Stomach pains?'

'Breaths a little shaky, stomachs cramping a little but that's it.'

'Push some more Naloxone. It might not be completely out of his system. Mia tells me you want to see your brother?' Sam nodded quickly. 'Can we be assured you are not going to try something like this again?' Sam nodded again.

'Of course, this was a major mistake. I was thinking straight when it happened. I swear on my mother's grave I would never try this again. I swear. Please can I see my brother?' Sam wasn't afraid of resorting to begging the doctor; he didn't care what he had to do.

'So you understand the full impact of your actions then?' Sam nodded again, wondering where this was going. 'And know that you will have to undergo a complete Psychiatric Review in result of these happenings, and agree to follow instructions of the questioning psychiatric doctor?' Sam nodded slowly.

'Will my brother undergo one as well?' He asked, hoping the doctor would say yes, as it was Dean who initially wanted to die and give up on life. Not him.

'I was discussing that with your father when we left the room, but yes I believe in your brothers position this would be required. In most cases like these it is required, in case the patient takes their lives once they are released from the hospitals care.'

'That's good, because he has me so worried. Ever since someone close to us died he hasn't been the same. I worried this is what he would turn to when he found out what had happened.' Doctor Marc nodded and called Mia in again with the chair, Sam hadn't even noticed she had left. She injected something in to his drip before transferring it to the wheel chair and helping him sit down.

'I will walk with you.' The doctor announced, following them towards the elevators. 'We had your brother moved to ICU five hours ago, once we stabilised him enough.'

'Five hours? How long was I out for?' Sam asked, perplexed.

'Oh around eight hours or so.' The doctor said casually. 'Not uncommon in a Morphine overdose. We are still waiting for your brother to remain consciousness again. So don't be alarmed if he doesn't respond. Obviously, he had a substantial amount of Morphine in his system before you dosed him. It hit him harder and faster.' Sam nodded, looking guilty. He let his head hang heavily on his chest as they rode the elevator in silence.

When they reached the ICU Sam noticed Bobby's frame standing by Dean's bed immediately. Their surrogate fathers eyes were ringed red from crying, and his skin was pale and washed out, Sam could have sworn there were new wrinkles on the older mans face, and heavy bags from no sleep beneath his eyes.

'Oh Sammy.' Bobby stepped forward, and Sam tensed up ready to be hit or yelled at or anything, not ready though, for the bear hug Bobby wrapped him in, encasing his large frame in both his arms and squeezing him tight.

'I'm so sorry Bobby!' He whispered into the mans ear as he let tears roll down his cheeks quickly, sobbing hard into the mans chest. He hadn't let himself go like this in a little while. He just let himself cry. He didn't know how long for, but when he looked up they were alone with Dean again.

'What were you thinking son?'

'I wasn't thinking Bobby. That much is clear, he, he just said all that horrible stuff and I kinda just went numb and started moving on automatic. God I don't even know how much I juiced us with Bobby, I feel like shit.' Sam wiped his eyes hard with his top.

'Well, there were three vials on the floor and one half empty in your hand kid, so you did a good job. Anywhere else and the two of you might not even be here right now. You might just have succeeded.' Bobby wiped a tired hand over his face, lifted his cap and dragged back over his hair and let a long, sad sigh before yawning.

'Why don't you try and get some sleep? I'm here now, I can look after Dean.' The old man sank into the large chair behind him and nodded, Sam watched as he fell asleep slowly. His eyes kept opening and closing, moving between the two of them protectively before they finally stayed shut.


	7. Salvation 7

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry! Also on another note, I haven't ever over dosed on Morphine, and Google doesn't really tell you much about what happens if you survive so I am just guessing and going by what happens when you do OD. Medical lingo aint my thing! **

**Also, sorry for the late update. I am hoping to get out at least another two or three chapters today if I am lucky. But I can only post when I am at my mums partners house, and the past few days have been so hectic with Christmas, so now I am enjoying a good, lazy boxing day write hope you all enjoy, and possibly even review? **

7.

_3 Days Later... _

Struggling to sit up in bed, Dean gave a loud moan. Sam looked over at him, smirking, knowing he was making a show of himself. It was all apart of his, "make Sam suffer" trial. This had been going on ever since he woke up two days ago. The talk of wanting to die had not been spoken about at all, and both the brothers had had their psychiatric work up and passed. They both got put down to shock, and given orders for counselling sessions before Dean was to be released from the hospital.

Smiling, Sam sat up a little straighter in his chair, wincing a little. He was still sore from his OD and felt the spasms kick in his stomach muscles. 'Do you need help there?' Sam offered as his big brother kept making a fuss about sitting up and how difficult it was for him. Sam could see why with a bandaged hand and a cast on his leg, and the blindness. He could never forget the blindness.

'I'm fine, now will you stop asking me that every time I make a noise.' Dean growled. He eventually pulled himself in to a sitting position he found comfy and rested back against the cushions. 'Now where's that cup o-.' Dean stopped mid sentence as he found the cup, knocking it over with his grasping fingers. 'Dammit!'

'It's alright!' Sam jumped up and grabbed one of the towels the nurse had left with them earlier and mopped up the water before it dripped on Dean. He had already needed his cast redone twice since waking up. He wasn't getting any better at remembering where things were yet, and kept knocking his cups or the jug over, spilling it either on him or on the bed. Thankfully the nurses were patient and kind with him.

'Don't worry Dean, you will get used to it soon enough.' Dean jumped at Bobby's booming voice.

'When did you get here?' Dean asked, a little of the shock still evident in his voice.

'Sorry kid, only then to see you knock your glass over.' Bobby walked in to the room, Sam saw Dean count the steps he took from the door to his chair under his breath. Bobby had taught him to do that after he had woken up. Said it would help him learn where things where.

'You getting the hang of that yet boy, or haven't people been coming in here often enough for you to practice with?' Dean shook his head at Bobby, while Sam offered a hopeful smile. 'Well, give it time. If only it were so easy to count the steps of that cup!' Dean let out a small chuckle, making Sam grin widely, enjoying the sound more then he probably should have; glad for a moment Dean wasn't able to see his face.

'Well I refuse to let some bloody cup get the best of me.' Dean's hands started to dance around like spiders again, enclosing a little unsurely around the glass before his other hand, the one with the compression bandaged continued the unstable dance and found the jug handle. 'Sammy, where's the glass from the cup? Speak in terms of a campus.' Sam jumped up, eager to help; surprised he was even being asked for it. Bobby smirked, shaking his head at how overly keen he was. 'Sammy?' Dean grumbled.

'I'm here man, uhm.' Scratching his head he considered how to word it. 'Bring your injured hand due west and pause, bump it against the glass and use that to judge how high it needs to be raised before you can pour, and place a finger inside the cup too.' Sam offered, a useful tip he had picked up from one of the nurses earlier that morning.

Pausing, jug held above the glass, Dean hesitated before putting his finger inside the rim. 'What the hell for?' He asked, pouring the icy liquid steadily, and then it hit him as the water touched his finger with a little shock, alerting him to how close he was from spilling water over the top of the glass. 'Oh... thanks.' He mumbled.

'No problem dude, glad to be of some help.' Sam sat back down in his chair, smiling. Bobby had taken to his own seat and had the newspaper out. Feeling a little restless, Sam jumped back up. 'Do you want some coffee Bobby?' The older hunter lowered his newspaper slowly and greeted him with a disgruntled look.

'That coffee has had me crook since I started drinking it here, least you could do if you're going to offer is run down the street to Starbucks for something half decent kid.' Sam looked over at Dean, not wanting to leave his side. Then it hit him, he hadn't been outside the hospital since rushing his brother in. A little shocked he nodded agreement. Grabbing his wallet from the small duffel on the floor he looked down at his grimacing brother.

'Do you want something other then water and hospital food while I'm out, maybe a burger and some fries with a coke?' Dean nodded with a moan.

'That sounds like heaven right now.' He rubbed his stomach, groaning. 'I am in need of something real right now, and a coffee that has some taste besides diesel fluid.' Sam laughed, his brothers pouting face as he rubbed his stomach hilarious. It had been up to Sam to choose his meals for him, the menu usually came while he was asleep, and not that it mattered because he couldn't read it for himself anyway. Sam had been making the best decisions he could manage with the little food supplied, but Dean was a picky eater.

'Since I am getting something to eat while I'm out too, would you like something, breakfast burrito maybe?' Looking at Bobby, who had gone behind the newspaper again, Sam tapped the pages to get his attention.

'The same as Dean will do, now can I read my paper in peace?' Bobby ruffled the pages loudly, making a show of himself so much that even Dean laughed from the bed.

'Alright well, I guess I will be back in around half an hour.' Grabbing up his jacket, he shrugged it on and walked out of the room, greeting the nurses he knew so well already as he left.

'So' Bobby mused when they were left in silence, folding the newspaper in his lap before slapping it down on the table.

'Can we not do this right now Bobby, please.' Dean groaned, sinking as far in to the pillows as he could allow himself to, without too much pain in leg.

'I think we do Dean, you don't just go through something like this, threaten to kill yourself, almost die and then just be okay. You two boys are acting like damn sunshine and daisies are dropping from the bleeding sky!' Bobby growled, trying to remind himself to take it easier on the younger hunter.

Shifting uncomfortably under the stare he couldn't see but felt, Dean pursed his lips before speaking. 'Hearing him talk when it happened, how hurt he was. It drove him literally insane. Was like some high school kid that's been pushed around for the last time and shoots up his school Bobby...' Sighing, Dean pushed on. 'I don't want to make him feel any worse then he must already feel over it. Don't want to risk putting him back in that place. Not just out of fear he is going to kill me again, but for his own life. If he hadn't made it, and I did... I don't know what I would have done Bobby. The thought of someone else having their life taken in my place, I can't go there.'

Sitting stunned, Bobby didn't know what to say. He had been expecting this to be some small battle of the worlds in attempt to get Dean to talk. He didn't know if it was the pain medication or hunger causing the boy to open up, but he wasn't complaining. Instead he leaned forward in his chair and made the young man jump, as he wrapped him in a tight hug. He imagined if it wasn't probably so painful, his surrogate son may have even cried then, but instead he just shook in his arms, letting him hold him as tight as he could manage.

There was no need for words or explanations after that, Bobby understood and left it there with the hug. They didn't speak again until Sam returned with proper coffee and food for the three of them. He threw a greasy bag in Bobby's lap and guided an equally greasy, onion scented bag in to Dean's before opening his own recycled bag to a Cob Salad. Eating and drinking quietly, bar the small curses from Dean when he occasionally missed his mouth.


	8. Salvation 8

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry! Hope you all enjoy and possibly even review? **

8.

Rolling around in the bed, sticky and uncomfortable, Dean just couldn't catch a break. Sweat was running down his forehead in large rivulets, dampening the bandages around his eyes. It had not even been thirty hours since he had been moved back to ICU from recovery after having his eyes removed and he already had a fever. The doctors had let him know there was chance of infection, that procedures like these didn't always go as planned due to the area.

Clenching his fists in annoyance, Dean Bit down on his lip against the heat radiating from his body, it was worse beneath the cast and bandages. Shivering violently he grunted in pain, feeling the broken bone in his leg move awkwardly with the shivers as more wracked over his body.

Lying there in his sweat, Dean tried to feel around for his buzzer but couldn't find it, calling out for a nurse didn't work either, his voice to parch to speak from fever. Giving up in resignation, it wasn't long before he felt himself pass out, glad not to have to deal with the aching and sweat anymore.

Come morning, when Dean managed to shake himself awake from the grogginess he groaned inwardly, feeling worse then the night before. He sensed people in the room and tried to call out his brother's name, stammering when a shiver wracked his body once more. 'Sam-my.' He managed.

'Hey you're awake, are you okay?' Sam's concerned voice came into contact with Dean's aching head, he wished he could sit up, his head swimming and heart feeling like it was beating a million beats and minute to escape his chest cavity. He felt a hand on his shoulder and his brother's intake of breath over the beeping of the heart monitor. 'You're shirt is soaked,' his hand travelled to his aching forehead next 'and you're burning up. Hasn't a nurse been in to check on you yet?' Dean shrugged with difficulty, still shaking.

Hearing his brother move away from the bed he threw his arm out, wincing before clasping whatever he had grabbed on his brothers body, pulling it tightly. He was scared to be left alone right now, he didn't feel well enough. 'I'm going to get you a nurse; this is really bad care for an ICU.' Sam slowly unclasped his fingers what felt like his shirt and placed them gently back by his side before pulling he doona back over him, almost to what felt like his neck.

'I will be back in a second.' Dean was left to his misery, not even bothering to count the steps this time; he didn't have the mental energy it needed.

'Look, I am telling you again. I checked on your brother half an hour ago. I reported the fever to his doctor, and he said it was just pre-op.'

'That was yesterday morning, and this doesn't look like that.'

Struggling to keep conscious, Dean focused on the angry conversation as it paused in his doorway. Hurried footsteps, too fast to even consider counting abused his headache, his brother shouted his name and someone was clasping his hand while someone else was feeling his forehead and taking up his other hand, cool fingers resting beneath his wrist, over his pulse.

'Double click the buzzer and hit the emergency button above it.' Dean felt the bed drop flat suddenly and was overcome with dizziness for the second time that morning. His heart beat erratically as he felt nausea overcome him, trying to lean over he managed to turn his head enough so he didn't throw up on himself. 'That rash wasn't there last time I came in to this room.' The nurse's voice was worried, Dean looked around uselessly, wishing his brother would speak, do something other then hold his hand.

More footsteps ran in to the room, he heard his doctor's name and a code called over the speakers. 'Sammy?' He groaned.

'Yeah I'm here Dean, I'm here.' Sam hushed him. 'What is it?'

'So-something doesn't f-fee-feel right Sammy.' The shivers intensified for a moment before his heart beat in to overdrive, feeling like it was about to stop, the last thing he heard was his brother shout his name before he lost track of what was happening around him.

Xxx

Pacing back and forth in front of Dean's room, Sam slammed a fist in to the wall before pulling his hands through his hair for the hundredth time it seemed. Bobby walked up to him and grabbed his hand roughly, dragging him to a seat and forcing him in to it, with a threatening look that told him not to move, before sitting down himself.

'It's been half an hour since they kicked me outta there Bobby, half an hour and all they have done is walk in and out of there with machines and bags and tubes of his blood. When are they going to tell us what is going on?' Sam whined, burying his face in his hands against the stress, growling like a wounded animal.

Just then the door opened and the doctor stepped out, Marc headed towards them with a grim look on his face. Standing and walking towards the man quickly, Sam stopped with an expectant face in front of him, desperate for news on his older brother. Anything.

'At the moment it isn't looking too good for your brother. We have administered oxygen and a saline drip to try and stabilise the blood pressure and slow down his heart beat, but the overall results wont be known until this time tomorrow at the latest's. We have taken bloods for some cultures and tests, but judging by the fever, shakes and rash we are looking at a blood infection caused by his eyes. There may have been something left behind in the wound from the blade, which we missed and has gotten in to the blood stream.'

Shocked, Sam didn't even know where to begin with the questions in his head. But the doctor went on.

'We will begin treating him with a broad spectrum antibiotic intravenously for now, hopefully that will help take care of as much of the infection as we can. Your brother is unconscious right now, so we are thinking it might be the best time to check his eyes for any sign of cysts or masses that may have formed and caused the infection. If there are any we will drain them, the main cause now is that the infection gets in to the broken bone in his leg. So we will do scans every hour at the moment, just to make sure.'

'Ca-can this k-kill him?' Sam managed to stutter out as Bobby came forward quickly and squeezed his shoulder, not removing his hand.

'A man in your brother's condition stands an 80% death rate in comparison to a healthy person. But we are doing everything we can for him right now, he is receiving the best care he can, it's been caught early so let's hope that's a promising outcome.' Doctor Marc patted Sam's arm, nodded at Bobby then turned away and walked back in to Dean's room, grabbing a paper gown and some gloves before closing the door on them both, standing shocked in the middle of the hallway, mouths slightly open, Sam shaking beneath Bobby's touch.

'The doctor is right Sam, your brother is in the best care he can get right now, and it seems like they caught it mighty early. There's every chance in the world your brother will make it through this, even out of sheer will power alone he will. No way is he going to leave you alone right now.' Bobby assured the youngest Winchester.

Nodding as he stepped back towards the wall, Sam sank back against it and slid down to the ground, legs spread out in front of him as he stared blankly in shock. The Winchesters certainly seemed to pull the shit stick out of the barrel in lucks war that raged against them, copping every piece of bad that flew their way lately. First it was dad's death, and almost losing Dean himself; and now this.

'It's going to be alright son.' Was all Bobby could offer as he sat next to the young man with a groan, his aged body grovelling under the strain of sitting such a way. Pulling Sam towards him, he glared at anyone who gave them an irritated look, as Sam's long legs stuck out half way across hall, blocking the way. He would have him move if someone with a wheelchair or bed needed to come through though.

But for now; he was contenting holding the boy against him, trying to offer him as much comfort as he could until they finally got called back in to his surrogate son's room. Supporting Sam as they walked towards the door, he felt him tense in his grip. The sight that greeted them wasn't over all pleasant as they walked in.

Tubes were running from Dean's nose, supplying him with the oxygen he needed, and there were two IV's running in to the one arm. Bobby realised the cast was temporarily missing from Dean's leg, revealing the nasty discoloured bruise and bump where the twisted break was obvious, and the rash that crawled up both legs from ankle to calf.

'Oh Dean...' Sam whispered beside him, slowly stalking forward. The nurse moved out of his way so the young brother could pull his chair as close to the bed as he could manage and grip his bandaged arm, Bobby saw him clench and unclench his grip and look hopefully to Dean for a response, but none came.

'Your brother is still unconscious. He should wake a little bit after we administer the antibiotics. We found three cysts in his eye sockets.' Sam didn't look up as the doctor spoke, but Bobby met his gaze, letting him know the information was being received.

'We drained them, which should stem the infection getting any worse. But at the moment your son is going to require around the clock supervision. I can offer you both a trundle in the room, if you were to prefer staying by his side as this will be very touch and go.'

'If that can be arranged then I think that would be best. My sons have a very close bond, I think it would be better for both their health if the other were around.' Bobby accepted the offer quicker then spit fire, Sam looked over and smiled thankfully at him, at least that way Sam would get some sleep for once. He knew when they were at the motel room he tossed and turned restlessly.

'Well I will speak with the nurse while she finishes up and have her arrange something for you both. In an hour an orderly will come take Dean for an x-ray on his leg, make sure the infection isn't in muscle or bone.' Nodding again, Bobby walked over to Sam's side and resumed the comforting squeeze on his shoulder, knowing there was nothing he could say to make him feel better right now, all he could do was be there for them both as much as he could.

Bobby would be damned if he would lose another Winchester from his life, especially cooped up in a hospital bed like this, from an infection. Dean would be fuming mad if he went out like that. He knew it had been drilled in to him from a certain age, that the only death was a heroic one in the heat of the hunt. Not some infection.

Squeezing Sam's shoulder, Bobby assured him everything was going to be okay even though he wasn't quiet sure it was going to be. But right now Sam needed someone to be strong, because the one person he could rely on to be there when he needed them, was lying unconscious with more tubes then a machine stuck in his arms.

Dragging the chair to besides Sam's and sitting down heavily, Bobby rested back knowingly. It was going to be a very long night.


	9. Salvation 9

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry! Hope you all enjoy and possibly even review? **

9.

Waking up to a pained moan, Sam shot up from his trundle and looked around to catch Dean's bandaged face staring in his direction. Throwing his long legs that stuck over the side of the bed, off the trundle he stood and stretched as he walked towards his brother; smiling softly.

'It's good to see you awake, a good sign I think.' Sam whispered, being careful not to wake Bobby who was sleeping on a trundle of his own, across the room. Slipping into the seat close to Dean's bed he clasped his hand. 'How are you feeling?'

'Pain...' Dean mumbled, words heavily slurred.

'Where, your eyes or your leg? They have the cast off at the moment on your leg, they warned me that might be a little painful and to call if you need some pain killers.' Sam filled his brother in then, telling Dean what was going on, why he felt so sick. Dean didn't say much in return he itched slackly against the tubes pumping oxygen into his body and nodded.

'My leg's killing me; can I get some of those pain killers?' He asked, and Sam was a little put back. The pain must have been bad for Dean to willingly accept while awake.

'Where does it hurt in your leg?' Sweat had broken out against Dean's forehead once more; Sam began to panic when his breathing began to hasten a little.

'Everywhere, feels like something is eating my leg bone from the inside out, ankle to hip man, kills.' Groaning, Dean wiggled a little in the bed as though trying to alleviate the pain a little but he only shouted out in pain. Sam looked down at the leg in the half light, and reached hurriedly for the overhead switch, lighting up the room.

Somewhere behind him Bobby grunted at the light, but Sam couldn't make any noise. The bruise had turned a sickly, blood red swollen colour around the lump that was Dean's reset leg, and had crawled under his brother's boxers. Setting aside all complaints his brother may attempt, he lifted the leg of the boxers a little and noticed the bruise went all the way up. The veins stood livid and strong, pulsing weakly in his thigh.

'Bobby!' Sam shouted, reaching for the buzzer, bypassing the attention button and going straight for the emergency symbol. That bruise wasn't right, he wasn't a doctor but he knew something bad when he saw it, the same way Dean could judge whether they needed a hospital or not. 'Something's wrong!' Sam panicked to Bobby as he came up behind him, stretching the sleep from his tired shoulders.

'Yep, that aint good I'm afraid.' Bobby lifted his cap and ran his hands over his hair, resettling it with a queasy look. 'How you holding up Dean?'

'Dandy.' Dean stammered, swallowing hard as the pain shot through his body burning hot.

Sam reached out and hit the emergency button, trying to control his anger at the slow response. When a flustered looking nurse jogged in to the room with bloody gloves on, he felt bad for a moment. He wasn't the only one with a sick family member on the ward.

'Something's wrong with my brother's leg, Doctor Marc said the antibiotics were meant to stop this from happening to him.' Sam wiped the sweat from his brother's brow quickly, calming him when he cried out in more pain.

'Dean I need you to describe to me the pain, can you move your leg at all?' Dean shook his head, groaning again, the pain straining the muscles in his neck, pulling them tight as he pulled in laboured breaths. 'I will page Doctor Marc now and have him organise scans, we need to see what's happening on the inside and then go from there. Does your brother have any history of a weak immune system? Things are moving really quick through his blood stream right now.'

'He didn't get sick too much as a kid, lots of flu's and I think Pneumonia once or twice, otherwise he is pretty fit, no infections.' Then Sam remembered the massive heart attack from the Poltergeist in another city, the blood loss and contusions from the car accident, and the bleeding from the accident, all the times he had been thrown around and they had slept it off in dingy hotel rooms. How would they know if Dean had a bad immune system?

Nodding, the nurse turned away and pulled the cart towards her as she picked up the phone and punched in a few numbers. There was a short pause over the line as she pressed the phone against her shoulder so she could use both hands to pick out two small vials and two long syringes.

'Anthony hi, it's nurse Cadie. I'm calling about one of your patients Dean Singer, yeah he's the one.' There was another pause. 'That's why I'm calling; he's taken a turn for the worse. I need your permission to give him more Morphine and antibiotics. I would normally not call you in like this,' another short pause, 'the area is inflamed, the bone looks displaced again and the bruise is climbing, fever is still the same and pain levels are high.' Sam waited on edge, listening to every word on this side of the phone call. 'There is no pus yet, but it doesn't seem far off.' Sam couldn't believe how long this was taking. 'An LP, scan and biopsy? Right, I will take the bloods now myself, and the Morphine?' After that Cadie hung up and Sam released a breath of tension.

Beside him, Dean was moaning in pain, sweat dampening his hair so it dripped from the bed tossed ends. Across from him, Bobby was sitting with a pale look on his face. Turning to the nurse for some hopeful news, Sam winced at the size of the needles she was filling with two clear liquids.

'Dean,' she called softly as she walked over, needles in hands, 'I am going to inject one of these directly into your thigh, so bear with me for a moment if it hurts a little too much okay, but it is going to make everything feel a lot better.' Dean nodded in reply, Sam didn't even know if he knew what the nurse was talking about, and he couldn't see the syringes.

Just in case, Sam reached out and took his brothers hand, squeezing it for support and gaining a bone breaking clutch as the needle entered the swollen skin, and went all the way in as Cadie emptied the clear liquid in to his brother's system. Glad when that was over, he didn't relinquish the death grip his brother had on his hand. This couldn't have been any easier with not being able to see, at the top of his list. It would have been driving him insane to not be in control of the situation.

'Now Dean, I am getting to put some antibiotics in your drip, then push through a small amount of saline to get them moving, so you may feel some coolness rush up your arm, it's meant to happen alright?' Cadie reached out and brushed a hand over Dean's clammy cheek, making him twitch a little in shock. This injection was over quicker and painless, Sam felt Dean's hand begin to loosen a little as his body went slack and surrendered to the Morphine. Cadie checked his pulse and blood pressure on the monitor a little unsure.

'My brother is a little bit of a light weight, can hold his drink like no man I have ever seen, but pain killers. Big puppy dog, puts him right out.' Cadie nodded at Sam, smiling a little.

'Probably for the best too, when Doctor Marc arrives he will be doing two tests that cause a lot of discomfort. For now though, I need to schedule them and make sure he is prepped and ready.' Cadie goes in to the bathroom first, and comes out with a face washer and a cool bowl of water, placing it on the dresser before wringing out the cloth and placing it soothingly on Dean's forehead. As she headed for the phone again, Sam took over. Bobby remaining silent and glum, his lips pulled tight.

Patting down Dean's head, Sam waved as Cadie walked out before turning to Dean, half unconscious from the pain medication. 'Just letting let you know, she's hot. At least a double D cup man, and red lips to kill for, and bright blue eyes, pale skin and blonde locks from an angel themself.' His response was a half, lopsided smile from Dean as his mouth sagged a little from the effort. Sam laughed, reapplying the cool cloth to his brother's face.


	10. Salvation 10

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. **

**Sorry for such a long wait on this, but between family and being sick and then New Years, and a friend needing help I haven't had much time to get to my mums, and she lives ages away from me. But here we go, and maybe if you are all nice and review I will add another two or more chapters tonight:D**

**Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry! Do American's have Powerade? Hope you all enjoy and possibly even review? **

10.

Once back from the scan, Doctor Marc had arrived and Dean was being prepped for the Lumbar Puncture and Bone Biopsy on his leg. Both were extremely painful and including, long and menacing syringes used for sucking marrow, and spinal fluid from the body. Jut the description had Sam feeling faint in his seat as he watched the doctor have nurse Cadie pull his brothers broke legs up to his chest and hold them there, so he could properly complete the test.

'You holding it together son, this can't be easy watching your brother go through all this.' Sam nodded, a little numb. 'I just keep telling myself that he will be home soon, and all this will stop happening because I can take care of him then.' The words nearly broke Bobby's heart as he listened, he knew Sam was still blaming himself for this and it killed him inside that he knew he couldn't persuade the stubborn mule he called his son, to think any differently.

After the lumbar, they moved on to the biopsy. Bobby watched as all colour drained from Sam's face as the needle entered the skin above the broken bone and a little yellow pus oozed from the needle prick. Acting quickly, Bobby stood the kid up and led him from the room, glad to be out him as they rushed towards the visitors toilets.

They got there just in time as Sam threw up violently, the little food he had consumed meeting him for the second time that morning. Bobby patted his back as he moaned and reached up for paper towel, using it to wipe his mouth clean before cupping his hand and using it to rinse his mouth out. 'Sorry.'

'Don't be sorry you idjit.' Leading Sam back out in to the hall, they took up residency on the chairs outside Dean's room while Bobby shook his pocket for loose coins to get a bottle of Powerade for Sam so he could rehydrate.

After managing to force Sam in to drinking the whole bottle, Bobby pushed him down when he tried to stand up, Doctor Marc heading towards them. 'Damn fool can talk to us while you are sitting down Sam.' He said sternly, giving him a hard look, warning him not to move.

'Everything okay there?' The doctor patted Sam on the shoulder. 'It's alright, not many people can sit through something like that. You lasted longer then most.' Sam nodded, while Bobby asked how Dean was, not interested in the doctors small talk.

'We drained everything from the leg, and got the results back from earlier this mornings scans, which confirmed our concerns. Unfortunately your son has developed a very rapid, severe case of Osteomyelitis, or bone infection. Unfortunately it has started to spread; we have booked him in for emergency surgery where we will remove the damaged and infected bone and tissue.'

That was it Bobby though, the final blow to Dean's life. He would have to completely retire from his lifestyle now, sit back and let everyone else do the jobs. Bobby was having trouble keeping up with the doctor then; his mind was spinning in circles as he grasped at thin air, trying to make sense of what was going on. Days ago Dean was fine, then he got injured and things went down hill from there. Was someone jinxing them, was the yellow eyed demon toying with them?

'Mr Singer, are you okay?' Bobby startled as he was led to a seat and guided down in to it, sweat had broken out on his forehead from the shock of the news, and beside him Sam was shaking, rocking back and forth. This was going to be a tough time for the three of them. 'Mr Singer?'

'What?' He barked, causing the doctor to jump back a little. 'Ah sorry Doc, was lost in my thoughts trying to take everything in.' Bobby apologised before wrapping his arm around Sam's broad shoulders and pulling him in closer to him, stopping the back and forth motions and ceasing the shaking.

'I need you both to understand what will come from this operation. We will need to remove a large portion of the tissue when we go in, and then any muscle and tendon affected in the area, and then the bone. It's only a small part, thankfully, but unfortunately your son will need the aide of a cane once he can manage without crutches.'

And then it all gets worse, Bobby thought, nodding. Sam was shocked beside him, staring at Doctor Marc with a pale face and his mouth opening and closing. 'How is he meant to get around, blind with a walking stick? We may as well kill him now!' Sam moved out from under Bobby's arm, towering over the doctor, breathing hard. 'What kind of a hospital is this; where in an ICU that someone develops two sever infections within three days? Can you tell me that, _Anthony_?' Sam used quotation marks over his name; Bobby grabbed Sam's hands and pulling them down, and afraid he was going to hit the doctor.

'Settle down kid. Walk it off,' He pushed Sam towards the elevators, fuming. 'Sorry about that, but he has a short temper about his brother, especially after an accident he was in, nearly left him dead.' Bobby commented.

'Did he break any bones or suffer from internal injuries in the accident?' Bobby nodded, unsure whether or not too lie right now, the doctor had a look in his eyes that could explain what was happening with Dean. 'I need the details, please.' He asked quickly, pulling out a note pad.

'He got a fracture in his skull, some broken ribs and maybe fingers. But other then that it was just bruising and a little internal bleeding I believe. He was out of the hospital pretty soon after.' Bobby was not quiet sure how much he should have shared, but that was the brunt of the injuries. The ones that mattered anyway.

The good doctor had his mobile phone out then, dialling in a number hurriedly. 'I need a scan for Dean Singer, room three from the ICU immediately on the hands and rib cage and anything found reported back immediately. I'm talking old, unhealed or recently healed injuries here. I think I know how the infection started.'

Feeling a little more hopeful then, Bobby probed for answers.

'If your son had an injury that hadn't been healed correctly or cleanly anywhere in the past then it is most likely where the infection would have stemmed from. It could have been growing in the joint near the break, or in the break ever since. Since we started treating your son his immune system would have lowered from antibiotics, pain killers and blood loss letting the infection run free through his system, undefeated.'

Nodding a little numbly still, Bobby was able to make a little more sense from this. 'You would want to hope so doctor, or my son and I would have needed to talk with the papers and maybe even the local news crew about the level of my sons care at this hospital.' The doctor went rigid very quickly, swallowing Bobby's words back, hard. 'Now, if perhaps my son could get on the transplant list for some new eyes however, I think the infections could remain between me and the staff here.'

Judging from the pale faced, tight lipped nod Bobby received, his words had really hit home. Soon after the doctor walked away, before his hand had even hit the elevator button he was reaching into his pocket for his mobile phone. Bobby heard him ask for the head of the transplant department and smirked, more thankful then ever for his intimidating nature.

Pulling out his own mobile he dialled in Sam's number. 'You can come back now son may have some good news for you.' Walking back in to Dean's room he settled in to the chair he had laid claim to these past few days and hung up, staring at Dean's prone form as he lie, almost like a child beneath the large blankets and starch white sheets.

It wasn't long before Sam was pushing through the door, deflated and cradling his hand gingerly. He had been hoping the good news that Dean had woken up, but he was still asleep. Dragging his chair beside Bobby he sank in to it and let his head fall on the older hunters shoulder. Normally he would never allow himself an emotional break like this, but right now he couldn't care less and needed the comfort of his surrogate father. Not like he could get it from his own or Dean right now.

Sighing, Sam didn't even struggle when Bobby took his hand and studied the red raw knuckles, probing around the swelling and feeling for any breaks or dislodged bits of cartilage or bone. 'Damn lucky you didn't hit that doctor. Think I may have just caught Dean a break in all this ridiculous mess.'

'How?' Sam's voice was empty and tired.

'Just shared a few, how shall I say, threatening words with the good doctor. Winning Dean a leap to the top of the hospitals transplant list, or else we may share this sad and life threatening case of infection with the media.' Sam shook his head, grinning. The most emotion he had shown in days, Bobby was right, that was good news to hear. Even if it may take a long time for new eyes to come through, Sam knew it was a ray of light to cling to.

'Sammy?' The mumbled voice broke through the happy moment, making both men's hearts skip a beat as they looked around at Dean, struggling to sit up a little. 'Back hurts.'

'I know man, they did the test before, you're knee might be a bit sore too.' Sam placed a caring hand over Dean's and was shocked when his older brother wrapped his fingers in with his own, squeezing.

'I was pretty out of it before, but did I hear something about more surgery?' Dean asked, hands running through his tangled hair.

'Yeah, just go back to sleep Dean. They will be coming to prep you soon. Nothing much to worry about.' Bobby shot Sam a warning look, he was glad Dean couldn't see it causing him to ask more questions. Sam wasn't in the mood to have Dean stressing over what he was about to go through, it would be best if they dealt with that road when it came time to cross it.

'If you say so Sammy.' Dean muttered before he drifted off to sleep again, his light breathing filling the small room. Sighing, Sam couldn't meet Bobby's disapproving gaze as he stood up and stretched. Pacing around, it wasn't long before nurses had come in and gotten Bobby to sign forms and pumped Dean full of more drugs and took him away from them both, saying the procedure could take anywhere from three hours to six, so if they needed a break; now was the time to take it.

**Reviews may make me write a new chapter faster ;) **


	11. Salvation 11

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. **

**Sorry for such a long wait on this, but between family and being sick and then New Years, and a friend needing help I haven't had much time to get to my mums, and she lives ages away from me. But here we go, and maybe if you are all nice and review I will add another two or more chapters tonight :D**

**Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry! **

**11.**

Dragging his mind free from the sluggish haze, Dean licked his dry mouth with an even thicker, cotton dry tongue. Moaning, he tried to muster up some energy to lift his arms so he could scratch around the dressings that covered the top part of his face, but gave up when all he could muster was a few twitching fingers. Licking his lips again, he returned some moisture to his mouth and swallowed.

Pain was slowly working its way through his body, starting from his calf and pulsing against his thigh and the back of his knee, the actual knee cap beating out a dull ache. Moaning again, he wished he could see what was going on. He couldn't remember being in this much pain before Sammy had assured him to go back to sleep, his leg had just felt a little numb and sore. Now it was building to a burning hot pain as more and more feeling seemed to come back to him.

'Sammy?' He whispered, voice course from the anaesthesia.

'I'm here Dean, what's up?' Sam's voice came groggily from across the room, followed by the squeak of bed springs and the soft padding of bare feet on the floor. Focusing his hearing, Sam had settled beside him and the weight dipped a little in the mattress as his brothers hand leaned on it. 'You okay?'

'Pain, feels like someone tried to cut me off at the knee.' His brother didn't reply, making him panic a little. Forcing his body as upright as he could manage, Dean danced his hand across the bed until it rested on his left leg, thick bandages meeting him in the place of the cast he had expected, or better yet then no leg at all. 'Where's my cast?'

'They had to take it off and operate, uh; something went a little wrong Dean.' The tension in Sam's voice seemed to bite in to Dean; he knew this wasn't going to be good. He begged his brother for answers, straight ones and no lies.

'The car accident, turns out you got a small green stick fracture in your knee when it happened. Something the doctors didn't catch initially, turns out that's where all the infections you have been getting stemmed from. A bad break, it spread pretty rapidly through your leg...' Sam drifted off, Dean demanded more from him, voice high.

Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Sam couldn't think for the life of him. He had always been so good with words, caring for and soothing victims of the monsters they hunted. But telling his own brother bad news? Nothing seemed to form willing in his mind.

'Sammy' Dean growled, losing his patience.

'To fix an infection like this, they needed to remove some bone and tissue.' Sam paused once more, reluctant. 'And a little bit of muscle and tendon that was also infected.'

'And?' Dean couldn't keep his temper under control, his heart rate spiked on the monitor.

'It's not the end of the world Dean, Doctor Marc said you are lucky they caught it this early or you could have faced losing the whole leg. A bit of rehab and a walking stick and you will be fine.'

'A walking stick? Dammit Sam I'm not seventy fucking years old!' Dean cursed loudly, heart rate continuing to climb. 'Who gave them permission to do this?' He demanded.

'Me and Bobby, you weren't in any state for decision making so they left it up to us.'

'I can't believe this!' Dean settled back on the bed, he didn't know whether he wanted to cry or shout. Things just didn't seem to want to go his way right now, not that he could blame fate for messing with him, but hey! As if being blind wasn't cruel enough, now he had to be a limping invalid too! Clenching his fists, he relaxed a little under his little brother's apologetic grip on his forearm. He immediately felt bad for taking his temper out on Sam; he knew it wasn't his fault. He had only done what any family member would do, to stop them from suffering further.

'Sorry Sam, I shouldn't have let my temper get in the way of things and taken it out on you. Did you want to run me through everything, because I can't see myself getting around blind, with a walking stick anytime soon?' Dean felt Sam's grip on his arm relax a little and smiled inwardly that the apology had helped.

'Well the doctor told me once you were stable enough and the infection was completely gone; they will be transferring you to the rehabilitation ward three floors down to begin a full recovery. Until the stitches and grafts are healed, you will in a wheelchair, but after that they will show you how to get around with a special walking stick.' Sam's voice was brighter, the bed dipped a little more with his weight as he sat down on the edge.

'There's a little bit of good news though.' Sam piped up suddenly, Dean silent as he took in the plans.

'What's that?' He tried to sound a little happier, but his mind just wasn't working around being blind and practically disabled.

'Doctor Marc has you on the transplant list, on top. So if corneas that match yours come in, you will be first to receive. So you may not be blind forever.' Dean's heart almost skipped a beat; he heard the monitor change rhythm as he took in his brother's words. 'Due to circumstances over how you lost your sight, you were eligible for a transplant.'

'Dude that is the best news I have heard in a long time.' Dean sighed in relief. Maybe he shouldn't give up yet, this was the positive news he had needed. They spent some time after that just talking, discussing what they were going to do from here, where they would go.

Dean wanted Sam to continue hunting without him; at least until he regained his eye sight from a transplant, then he would be back on the road with him again. But Sam kept flatly refusing, saying how it wouldn't be right, and didn't trust being with any other hunter, which filled Dean with warmth to know he was the only person his brother trusted to watch his back.

But then they came to the discussion of the Yellow Eyed demon, and their hunt for him to get revenge and take him out once and for all, before he destroyed anymore lives, the way he had with theirs. 'We can keep our connections open, search for any sightings or similar events like ours. Bobby will stay in the game I'm sure, he will let us know if anything comes up. And when and if it does, we make our decisions then.'

'Sounds fair.' Dean couldn't argue logic like that, his brother had always been the cool headed thinker of the family, so unlike him and their father that way. Dean would always research and throw himself in guns firing rather then think straight and securely.

'Where is Bobby?' Dean asked, suddenly noticing the absence of their surrogate.

'Asleep behind me, in the cot. We are sitting in the dark, it's three thirty in the morning right now.' Sam offered, Dean felt his weight shift as though he were looking around at the older hunter.

'You should get some sleep Sam. I'm still pretty groggy myself, plus it sounds like we have a long road ahead of us, going to need as much rest as you can, pretty sure I am going to be needing you at the moment.'

Sam swelled with emotion then, he had never heard his brother ask outright for his help like that. Smiling broadly, he agreed with his brother and squeezed his arm once more before lifting from the bed and heading back to his own bed, it was too small and his feet hung over the edge but he didn't mind. Especially not then after hearing his brother's words.

Lying there it wasn't long before he let the slow monotone of the heart monitor lull him to sleep. Dean was right, the next few weeks or even months, was going to be very testing. But he was looking forward to them in an odd way, a welcome break as trying as it would be, from their lifestyle.

**Short I know, sorry. But hey, another chapter out :3**


	12. Salvation 12

**I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. **

**And maybe if you are all nice and review I will add another two or more chapters tonight :D**

**Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry! **

**12.**

_Six weeks later; Sioux Falls..._

It had been four days since Bobby and Sam had been given permission to bring Dean home, after two slow days on the road they had finally managed to settle in a little and enjoy being back in familiar surroundings. There had only been a little argument about where the boys would go, Dean had argued about now wanting to get in Bobby's way and then he had battled that he would have no other way and insisted that the doctor demand Dean go somewhere familiar to him.

Not long after, Dean had begrudgingly admitted defeat and resigned himself to Bobby's care. They had quickly packed up his small room on the rehab ward, bundled him in to his wheelchair and made a fast getaway, putting the hospital quickly behind them. The only thought of returning, when they got the call for Dean's Cornea Transplant.

With no surprise, Dean had made a quick, if not forced recovery and had kicked the chair in turn for the walking stick. With a small amount from Sam, he was able to get around for short periods of time, but otherwise stayed pretty immobile, learning new tricks and techniques such as preparing food or drinks, or how to judge how far he had gone and make sure his memory retained the information.

Dean had promised his therapist to be safe, and continue the muscle building exercises for his legs and upper body, as he would need them for getting in and out of the bath/shower.

At the moment, Dean was sweating heavily as he leaned on the walking stick, counting under his breath as he made his way for the seventh time to the kitchen and fridge from the lounge room. Each time he managed to stub his toe, bump his shoulder or directly walk in to something. This time though, he had been successful to miss any barriers in his way. Hand out, he smiled in relief as his hands settled on the door to the fridge.

Opening the door, he sighed as the cool air rushed at his sweating body, cooling him down from the exertion. Flailing his hand around a little, his fingers reflexively closed around the chilled neck of a beer. He had promised Sam and Bobby he wouldn't move from the sofa while they were gone to get supplies, but he couldn't resist the chance to do something on his own. Dressed in nothing but boxers, he settled back against the fridge and let the cold emanate through his body as he rubbed a bruise already rising from meeting the table before.

Lost for a moment in his own silent victory, Dean startled and dropped his beer at the sound of car doors shutting. Swearing when the bottle shattered around his feet, spraying his legs with cold beer he leant on his stick in attempt to move away from the mess and cursed even louder when he brought his foot down on a jagged piece of glass. Unable to keep his footing, Dean slid to the ground and groaned, swearing more insults under his breath.

'Dean?' Sam's voice called from behind the kitchen door, he heard it thrown open moments later and heavy footfalls come towards him before coming up short. 'Leave you for half an hour!' Sam whined, calling Bobby to bring in the mop and brush and shovel.

'I was thirsty.' All Dean could offer, a little sheepishly. He could just imagine the mothering look Sam would have on his face right now, all concern and anger but the caring side of him would outweigh the other. And it did.

'Come on, let's get you out of there and cleaned up.' Sam's footsteps sounded well placed and a little wet as hands reached out for him and closed around his forearm, another wrapping around his left side, supporting most of his weight. 'Dude you're bleeding.' Sam groaned.

'Yeah guess I should have stayed where I was when I dropped the bottle.' Sam grunted under his weight for a minute before resting him in a kitchen chair. 'It's just my foot.'

'And your thigh and arm and back, you practically sat in the glass man.'

'What in hell?' Bobby entered the kitchen then. 'Balls.'

'Sorry Bobby.' Dean muttered.

'It's alright son, this is what I signed up for anyway. Damn knows how many times I gave you a spanking for getting in to things you shouldn't have as a kid anyhow.' Bobby laughed. 'Especially the beer.' Dean laughed too then, remembering that memory all too well from when he was sixteen years old and their dad had left them with Bobby for near a month. Dean had snuck in to kitchen late at night and decided beer was better then soda, Bobby had busted him and given him a spanking so hard he didn't try again till he was seventeen.

'Hey Bobby can you pass me the first aid kit?' Sam asked, using a tea towel to mop up the blood pooling beneath Dean's foot, he could feel it running warm over his heel before dripping in large droplets too the floor. He heard a drawer open and something being passed, Dean swore when he was met with a burning pain.

'Son of a bitch Sammy! A little more warning would be nice next time, if you wouldn't mind. Punish me another way!' Dean cursed, biting his lip as Sam cleaned the wound with more Peroxide. He gritted his teeth when his brother moved to the other cuts he had managed to collect.

'I think you punished your self with this Dean, you're back in the wheelchair till your foot heals. That's going to need stitches.' Sam mused, smiling to himself. He knew how pigheaded Dean was, and hadn't in the least expected him to stay sitting while he and Bobby were gone. But Bobby had convinced him Dean needed to learn from his mistakes, and this was definitely a lesson learnt in Sam's books. He just hoped Dean would see it that way too.

Looking his brother over for any more cuts or abrasions, he probed the welting bruise blossoming on his brother's side. 'How did you get this?' he asked when his brother tensed beneath his touch.

'Uh I met the table on my way over, thought it might say hello a little to violently.' Dean tried to laugh it off, but Sam just shook his head. His hands moved down Dean's body, a little uneasy over the bruising. Eyes resting on the mess of scars and missing muscle that made up Dean's thigh and calf.

'You still plan on cooking tea Sam or are you going to baby your brother all night?' Bobby asked, back door clanging shut behind him as he moved back out to the car, mess cleaned up off the floor now, bring back in the groceries.

'You heard the man Sam, going to baby me all night or cook us something completely inedible?' Dean joked, rubbing his thigh a little.

'Guess I should start, I will grab your chair first since you are going to help me, cripple.' Sam smirked, it was his new joke name for Dean over jerk. At first he wasn't sure how it would go down but Dean had simply laughed it off and called him a mothering little bitch.

'Shut up bitch.' Dean retorted, a small sigh escaping his lips as he leant back in the chair, rubbing his painful leg. He wasn't due painkillers for at least another two hours, he tried to remember his breathing techniques and how to clear his mind and distract himself. His phone rang then, across the room on the sofa. He heard running feet and Sam's voice as he answered.

'Ellen hi, yeah sorry Dean is in the kitchen so I answered for him. That's great, yeah we will see you in half an hour then, is Ash coming with or just Jo?' Dean listened, a little annoyed he didn't get to talk on his phone, the call was clearly for him or else they would have called Sam or Bobby. 'Right, well we will see you both shortly.' He heard the click of his phone being closed and sighed again.

'I didn't know we were expecting visitors, or that people didn't get to talk to people who called them; on their own phones.' He grumbled, but Sam had left the room again, returning shortly to lift him in to the wheel chair.

'Yeah they called me last night and asked if they could come see you. Apparently Jo has been hassling Ellen something chronic about you, so she finally said she would leave shop to Ash and come down for a few days I think.' Dean smirked, Jo had always had a soft spot for him and he for her.

'Sounds good, would be nice to see them both, strictly speaking.' Sam laughed at the irony of the words. 'Stitches first or food first?' Dean asked.

'Stitches then food, don't need you bleeding out on the spot now do we?' Dean jumped when suddenly the chair spun around and he began to move. He still wasn't used to that sensation, it made his stomach turn and bile burn in his throat. It definitely didn't feel normal to him. 'You alright?' Sam asked, concerned voice again.

'Think I'm going to chuck, you moved me too quick.' Dean warned, holding his stomach as sweat broke out on his forehead. The wheelchair stopped as a bucket was gently placed on his lap, head being softly guided to the buckets lip.

As Dean was throwing up, Bobby came back in with an arm full of groceries and grimaced at the sound. Poor kid couldn't catch a break too easily, Sam looked guilty and sad and Bobby realised what had happened. Dean was suffering a rare case of motion sickness from being in the wheelchair. The doctors had explained the movement and lack of eyesight would play havoc on his system for a while, but eventually he would get used to it. Slowly he had been, but anything to sudden or violent and he would throw up almost immediately.

Placing the groceries on the table, Bobby rifled through the paper bags until he found what he was looking for. Pulling the short stubby out, he popped off the lid and walked over to Dean, taking the used bucket from him. Sam wiped away any sweat or vomit from the boys face before Bobby placed the drink in Dean's hand.

'What's this?' He mumbled.

'Just drink it son, will make you feel better.' Bobby guided the hand holding the bottle towards Dean's mouth and smiled when he took a deep mouthful, a small amount of relief showing on his face as the cool fizzy liquid hit his weak stomach. 'Better?'

Dean nodded in reply, taking another larger mouthful. 'Sorry Dean, I should have known, warned you or something.'

'It's okay Sammy, not exactly something easy to remember. I mean seriously, who gets motion sickness in a damn wheel chair?' Dean brushed the apology off, Bobby patted the younger brother on the shoulder before turning back to the groceries to unpack them.

'Was that Ellen on the phone before?' He asked as Sam knelt beside Dean, threading a needle with cat gut before r resterilising the wound on Dean's foot, still dripping blood.

'Yeah they are only like, fifteen minutes away by now.' Sam replied, focus turned to Dean's foot now as he began the stitches.

'Well when you're done there how about you start dinner and I will help Dean put something more appropriate on for female company?' Bobby offered, placing tins in the cupboard and arranging them in order. He turned to find Dean looking rather sheepish now, sitting there in nothing but a pair of boxers. He found it most comfortable to navigate around the house in, usually he wore a t-shirt but this morning had been warmer so he had opted to go shirtless. His skinny frame, paler then normal nothing to really be embarrassed about around his family.

'Sounds good, though I don't think there is much I can do without Dean's advice, but I am sure I can at least cut some things up.' Sam finished the final stitch, trying not to laugh. Dean had darkened a shade in embarrassment after Bobby had brought up how he was dressed.

It was so pleasant to have his brother out of the hospital, it had been so tense while they were there and none of them were really sleeping or getting along very well. The hospital sent their tempers high, and they had very few good days. They were still a long way from normal. But Sam knew they only had to try a little harder, and work more towards a better outcome with all this.

Tomorrow he had plans of heading down to the local library and picking up some books that taught you how to learn brail, and a few audio books for Dean to listen to when he was bored. Having Ellen and Jo come visit wasn't on his planned schedule for Dean's recovery, but he had seen the smile when he told them they were coming, and it made him smile too. Maybe while they were there, he would help Dean relearn how to shoot, put together and cleans a gun without his sight.

'You still alive in their Sammy?' He felt Dean knock on the top of his head like a door and shook himself back to the present. 'It lives!' Dean cheered.

'Sorry,' he mumbled before straightening up 'he's all yours now Bobby, but be careful, he's ever so fragile.' Laughing, Sam ruffled Dean's hair playfully, dodging out of the way of Dean's blind swing that came too close for comfort. With or without his sight, the boy could still be dangerous.

'Picking on a blind man, I dunno.'

'You ready to start moving?' Bobby asked Dean before he pushed the chair forward, not waiting for a reply as a honk alerted them to Ellen and Jo's arrival.

'Quicker if you could, the thought of the shit those two would give me for being in this chair, half naked would be never ending.' Dean sighed, great full when the voices were suddenly muffled and the door closed behind them.

'Track pants and a t-shirt sound good to you?' Bobby asked, pulling the items from the duffel bag and placing the t-shirt in Dean's hands as he made a move to help him put the pants on. It hurt to know Dean was still too weak with his left leg to dress himself, the scars were an even more painful tug on his heart. 'Lift your leg Dean.' He mumbled, carefully easing the fabric over the missing muscle.

By the time they were done, Dean was wiping sheen of sweat from his brow with one hand, massaging his leg with the other. 'Thanks Bobby.'

'Don't mention it you idjit.' Pushing Dean back out in to the kitchen, Bobby stepped aside as Jo ran towards them and threw her arms around Dean, tears spilling down her cheek in an uncharacteristic fashion.

**Cliff hanger, what could make Jo so happy to see Dean :3 but at least, now Dean is doing better and on the road to recovery, but what could be awaiting him in the future? A romance, transplant? A hunt or maybe even abduction? What would you like to see? **


	13. Salvation 13

**AN**

**I apologise for such a long wait for the chapter but life has its way of catching up and ripping everything to pieces on me. Now I know I left the last chapter at a cliff hanger, and I warn you, that this doesn't completely coincide at the moment, but in later chapters the ending and what happened then, gets explained. But for now, its another few weeks later scenario, where Jo and Ellen get avoided like roadkill on a hot day.**

**Again, sorry for the wait. But enjoy!**

_**Eight Weeks Later….**_

Waking suddenly with a jolt, Sam wiped the cold sweat that had broken out in his sleep away from his forehead and blinking it out of his eyes. Ever since Dean's accident he had been having vivid nightmares, how the hunt had gone even worse. Instead of a blind Dean it was a dead one, or one who hated and blamed Sam for everything that was going on. Shaking in the cold night air, he pulled the blanket around him some more, swinging his long legs over the side of the bed.

This was only the third night Sam had started sleeping in the spare room upstairs, Dean had demanded he stop sleeping on the sofa downstairs to baby him. Whenever Sam protested that Dean might need help during the night he would counter how much easier he was getting around now, and how rarely it was he woke in the night anyway, due to pain medication.

Feeling like a child with the blanket clutched around his body, Sam silently headed down stairs. He paused on the bottom step when he heard muffled noises, senses instantly going on alert. A few moments later he relaxed a little, his heart breaking a little when he realised what the sound was, and not knowing what to do with himself. If he went downstairs he knew his brother would kill him right there, but if he didn't he would feel guilty for leaving his brother to cry alone in the dark.

It was very Dean like, to face the pain and depression on his own. Sam struggled internally with himself, wanting more than ever to take his brother up in his arms and assure him everything would be okay. Instead he made himself aware of by stumbling loudly from the bottom step, tripping over the hem of the blanket he was now clutching to himself, and hitting the ground with a loud thump. Breath winded from his body, Sam gasped and coughed in shock.

'Dean?' Bobby flicked the light on his bedside on quickly, pulling on a pair of sweats he kept by the bed as fast as he could, hopping in to one leg as he headed for the stairs. When nobody replied he moved faster, taking the short staircase two at a time. The amount of times he and Sam had made this impulse run to Dean's side in the night was growing fewer and fewer, which only made tonight even more of a shock. Bobby had even helped Dean assure Sam that he would be fine downstairs on his own. Boy was Sam going to give it to him now.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, blinded by how dark the rooms were, he grunted in shock when his foot connected with something firm that seemed to fold under his slight kick. Flailing for balance, Bobby wondered how Dean dealt with total darkness as he went down hard, next to something else that was gasping, trying to breathe.

'Dean?'

'Bobby?' Sam gasped, still struggling to draw in breath.

'What's going on?'

Sam and Bobby crawled to their feet, panting from the shock they had both received in the dark. Bobby padded over to the light switch, his bare feet making more noise then he realised in the dark as he hit the overhead light, flooding the room with too much light, making the two men curse and shade their eyes in more shock.

'What on earth were you doing on the floor you damn idjit!' Bobby cursed at Sam who was heading over to Dean's room, eyes shaded against the light, blanket abandoned where he had fallen from the bottom step.

'It's okay Dean,' He heard from the room. 'Me and Bobby just fell over in the dark is all.' The sound of squeaking bed springs alerted Bobby that Sam had sat down on Dean's bed and made his way over, standing in the doorway while he rubbed his thigh bone.

'Gotta give you more credit kid.' Bobby mused as he continued rubbing the bruise he could feel flowering across the skin. 'Ain't no easy feat making it through the dark, think ya fool brother learnt that lesson the hard way too.' Sam shook his head in embarrassment, cheeks flushing.

'What were you both doing?' Dean grumbled, clearly annoyed that they were disturbing him at this time of morning.

'I needed something to drink.' Sam said coyly, he didn't know whether to tell Dean what he had heard or not. Dean had hidden any sign that he was crying from his voice, and his face looked clear of any tear streaks.

'Idjit was lying at the foot of the stairs in the damned dark!' Bobby cursed gruffly. Dean laughed then, lightening the mood at the rare sound. Before long they were all laughing, Sam wiped the tears from his eyes and tried to regain his breath again when a stitch broke out in his side.

'What time is it?' Dean asked sleepily, yawning around the words as the laughter died down. He reached a hand down to his thigh and started rubbing it, he wasn't used to being awake so long at this hour.

He knew that his brother had heard him crying. He was ashamed for it, but glad Sam hadn't brought it up. Normally he would have drifted back to fitful sleep before waking up to the pain. It had taken a week to convince Sam he didn't need him to sleep downstairs for him, he swallowed at the thought of having to convince him all over again. He didn't need a babysitter twenty-four seven. Giving up on rubbing the missing section of muscle, he sighed dejectedly and laid back down against the pillows.

'Nearly four am, God we should all get back to sleep. Dean you have your first appointment with the Physio tomorrow morning, remember?' Dean nodded, even though he really hadn't. He wasn't looking forward to it, it had taken so long to get used to the instructor at the other hospital. But now he would have to do it all over again, and fight through new pain as he moved up a stage in his rehabilitation.

Dean couldn't help but think how much easier this would all be if he just had his sight, he wouldn't feel like such an invalid if he could see the railings he was leaning on, or the person he was working with, the courage or disappointment on their face, or even better; how hot they were. That was something he missed the most, being able to see a person's features or their smiles. A woman's company…

'You okay Dean?' Sam asked softly as he reached over and pulled the covers back over his brother's body and tucking them in a little, making sure they wouldn't travel too far away from his reach.

'Just tired Sam, I should get some sleep for tomorrow.' Dean sighed. 'Oh, and bitch, don't even think of sleeping on that couch.' He threatened before drifting into a pained sleep. Sam and Bobby stayed in the room for a few minutes just watching him; they both knew the shit they would get in if Dean knew they had done it. But Sam knew how much it had helped Dean when he was in the hospital. Especially when he would run small circles on the top of his hand and soothe him softly, it seemed to make the pain ebb away a little, letting him sleep a little sounder.

'You should get some sleep too Sam, going to be hard on you too tomorrow, both of us dealing with his hard ass. You know he's going to deny every inch of pain tomorrow's going to bring when he gets home.' Bobby was right, Sam stood with a nod and left the room, casting a longing look at the sofa before Bobby took his arm and led him up the stairs, going as far as putting him to bed, just to make sure he would stay there, waiting till it looked like he was sleeping deeply enough.

Turning towards his own room, Bobby yawned widely but knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep. Shutting the door quietly, he put the ceiling light on and approached the liquor bottle he had on the desk in his room, before settling on the cold wooden chair, dragging the book he had been reading the night before towards him. Dean would kill him for looking at the book, but he didn't care. Sam had been doing the same thing for weeks now, searching for a way to bring back Dean's sight. Bobby thought he may have found the spell they were looking for, but he hadn't told Sam yet.

There was no use in getting the boys hopes up, tonight he had wanted to tell them both that there may have been a flicker of hope for Dean, that he wouldn't always have to bump around the dark like they just had. But he had bit his tongue, kept it greedily to himself until he knew it would work.

Reading over the same passage several times, he drew the book closer with interest. It wasn't just any normal spell they would be working, it would require a summoning and taking part of the demon for payment. Bobby knew there would be a catch, there always was with this kind of lore. He would need payment for Dean's eyes. They wouldn't come free.

The summoning looked like a difficult one. It would take a few contacts to get all the stuff they would need. With a deep swallow of guilt he thought about Ash, and then Ellen. What had happened two months ago, in his own house? It would make things too hard of he couldn't go through Ash, he would have to buck up and face the music if he wanted Dean to have his sight back, and so would he and Sam.

Running a hand through his sleep matted hair Bobby downed the last dregs of the cheap scotch in the bottom of his glass with a grimace before standing up like the rickety old man he denied he was and trudged back over to the bed. Sinking in to the covers, he paused for a moment, listening to the carried moans of the two boys he had come to claim as his own sons as they slept.

Bobby fell asleep to the thought that he could help Dean, reciting the ingredients he would need over and over until he fell in to a restless sleep, being chased by chicken feet and blind eyes that rolled under his feet and tripped him over, while a demon mocked him from a corner.


	14. Salvation 14

**AN**

**I apologise for such a long wait for the chapter but life has its way of catching up and ripping everything to pieces on me. Now I know I left the last chapter at a cliff hanger, and I warn you, that this doesn't completely coincide at the moment, but in later chapters the ending and what happened then, gets explained. But for now, its another few weeks later scenario, where Jo and Ellen get avoided like roadkill on a hot day.**

**Again, sorry for the wait. But enjoy!**

14.

'So ah Bobby, got any um,' Sam seemed to be struggling around the word he was trying to find. Like he knew what it was, but couldn't quiet draw it out enough. Bobby was losing his patience with the kid, and slapped him on the back of the head, telling him to hurry up and spit the damn thing out.

'Got any chicken feet we could run around with?' The two boys cracked up in laughter, Bobby flushed a deep red before throwing the pencil in his hand at Sam who deflected it easily, laughing even harder. Even Dean was sharing in the humour. The boys must have heard him mumbling in his sleep, right before he woke up with a start like he had never felt before.

Shaking away the lingering memories of chicken feet chasing him down the street, he told Sam to stop laughing and eat his breakfast. Dean had already stopped laughing and was downing coffee by the mugful. 'Is there a coffee drinking contest happening that we don't know about, or are you just really thirsty?'

Pausing, cup midway to his lips, Dean looked a little sheepish. Bobby imagined if he were able to see, his eyes would be wide like a doe caught in the spotlight. Dean slowly lowered the cup to the table, looking even more sheepish then before as he pushed it away, searching carefully for his plate of bacon and eggs, and not offering any reason at all for his camel like drinking habits.

'You ready for today?' Sam asked tensely, Bobby looked up in realisation. He had been so caught up with last night's discovery and feed for his stupid nightmare that he had forgotten that Dean's first appointment at Sioux Fall Hospital was today.

'I guess so.' Was all Dean offered before he deliberately shoved way too much food in his mouth and busied him with trying to chew it all done.

'That why you drinking so much coffee, add a bouncing bean to your stamina? Because I can tell you kid, all it's going to do is have you running to the toilet, so to say hoppy.' Dean smirked at Bobby, laughing falsely before reaching around for his cup again. 'Eleven o'clock.' Bobby offered as Dean changed the direction of his hand.

'Now I might not be here when you boys get back from the hospital.' He threw it in there as swiftly as he could, hoping they wouldn't notice it. But Sam's keen ears pricked up in an instant, turning his eagle like gaze on Bobby.

'Where are you going?' Sam asked, almost innocently. But if Bobby didn't know the kid better, he would have fallen for the innocence of the question. Instead however, he snorted and took a deep gulp of his coffee.

'Give him a break Sam, man problem needs sometime to himself without us two under his feet and causing chaos at every turn, and breaking everything.' Dean added a light laugh to it, but it didn't lessen the blow any, it still struck Bobby hard though and he regretted saying anything at all. But then if he left without saying anything… things would be interpreted however the boys saw fit, and then he wouldn't be there to rectify.

'It's a light supply run, getting low on a few ingredients that's good to have around the house.' He hoped Sam wouldn't probe anymore, but he noticed the way his eyes squinted in silent question. Meeting his gaze he saw him mouth the words, _in the garage, explanation_. Nodding he stood up and put his dishes in the sink before finishing his coffee and letting the mug join them.

Facing the two boys he watched them for a moment and contemplated just telling the truth, but he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. Sam would get all excited while Dean would get his back up and shut the whole thing down immediately. Ever since the faith healer and his father's death, Dean refused any assistance like that at all. I would not be fair on them, Sam in particular as he would get his hopes up them most.

It didn't take too much for Bobby to see how much everything was affecting the younger brother. He would always catch Sam with a guilty expression painted all over his face, or else on the verge of tears, mouthing a silent apology to Dean while he slept on the sofa during the day.

'You think you can cope with doing the dishes Dean? I need Sam's giraffe legs out in the shed for a minute, get something off a shelf.' Dean nodded, leaning heavily on the walking stick by his side to help him stand, picking up his plate with the other hand and slowly making his way towards the sink. Two and a half months out of hospital, and he was making good headway. Bobby beamed at Dean, proud of him for a moment as he watched him reach instinctively for the plug, his mind memorising everything already.

'Back in a minute Dean.' Sam clapped Dean on the shoulder before heading out the back door, Bobby following on behind him. His mind spun with theories as to why Bobby was going away for a few days. They had both agreed that hunting would be put on hold for the moment, that they wouldn't talk or discuss it in any way. Though Bobby couldn't completely stop with the phone calls that were always coming, they weren't meant to be going on about it anyway.

'What was that Bobby?' Sam exploded as the door shut behind them, barely able to contain himself.

'Settle yourself down you damn idjit!' Bobby growled back at him, slamming around on the work bench, trying to at least make it sound like they were doing something outside instead of just sneaking around Dean's back.

'We promised no hunting talk. Period.' Sam yelled back.

'I know, I know.' He wished he could just tell them the truth and get it over and done with, but that would certainly be too hard.

'Then what was it?'

'I can't say anything right now, but if I can get everything when I'm out I will tell you then.' None of that sounded convincing, he didn't even know if he was convinced himself. But Sam seemed to believe him, _for now._

'Fine, whatever, I need to go get Dean ready for his appointment.' Sam stalked out of the garage. Leaving Bobby to stand there questioning himself. When he walked back inside the two boys were arguing at the breakfast table.

'Dean I don't care, you have to go to this appointment whether you want to or not. It doesn't matter how well you are doing on your own, it is beside the point. Now get up and get ready before I carry you to bedroom and dress you myself. I will use brute force on you.' Sam was shouting, approaching Dean with a menacing look on his face.

'Okay, okay. Back off Robo-Mother.' Dean pushed himself to his feet as quickly as his leg would allow him too. Bobby chuckled by the door, and leant into the frame. For the sake of those boys, he would make sure that this would work, that he would be able to get Dean his sight back. The thought of the boy having to go through life without his sight… Bobby pushed of from the door frame and started putting the dishes away that Dean had already made fast work of.

'Don't you dare pop one of those pills Dean! You know they put you to sleep!' Sam ripped the bottle out of Dean's hands in frustration. He couldn't understand why he was being so difficult about this, it had come out of nowhere.

'Well give me my other pills then!' Dean demanded adamantly.

'Why are you acting like a child Dean?' Sam sank down on the bed with Dean and let his body deflate tiredly. He would probably have more luck with a child he thought.

'It hurts Sam, all the time. Sometimes I sit there and think; I'm so happy I can't see my leg because then I know I would just get more depressed. It's so not helpful being blind and invalid, it would be easier if I…' Dean drifted off, shocking Sam. His brother was never this open about his emotions. He knew where the rest of that sentence was headed, and was thankful he didn't finish.

Sam would have broken down completely if he had, hearing it out loud would have more it all the more real. As he reached over for the painkillers, he promised himself that from now on he would keep a closer watch on his brother, monitor his medication intake.

If Sam lost Dean that way, he didn't think he would be able to keep himself from following suit. 'Here you go, now get ready. Clothes are on the bed beside you. If you hustle we might not be too late.'

Bobby moved away from the bedroom door quickly, busying himself at a bookshelf as Sam walked through it seconds later. He had heard every part of that conversation and felt his heart break with each word. He thought of John, how he would have reacted in a situation like this, to hear his son talk about suicide.

Shaking his head, he felt guilty for being thankful John wasn't here. The hard man would probably slap his son on the back of the head and tell him to harden the fuck up with talk like that. It broke his heart to hear him talk like that, but there was nothing that he could do right now. Being there was no longer enough. He needed action.

'Make sure you call me and let me know how the appointment went Sam, I shouldn't be more then three days at the most, when I get back we will talk. Make sure Dean doesn't get in to too much trouble while I'm gone. I would like to find all the glass in one piece when I get back.' Sam laughed in response and nodded.

'Sure thing Bobby.' Sam walked up the stairs with a stiff back, while Bobby shoved a few vials and containers in to duffel before following Sam and retrieving the book he would need with all the ingredients for the difficult summoning.

Revving the engine to the old pick-up truck, Bobby tried to think of a quick and easy way to achieve his goal. Getting the ingredients was going to be no feat in comparison to what would come from the summoning.


	15. Salvation 15

**AN**

**I apologise for such a long wait for the chapter but life has its way of catching up and ripping everything to pieces on me. Now I know I left the last chapter at a cliff hanger, and I warn you, that this doesn't completely coincide at the moment, but in later chapters the ending and what happened then, gets explained. But for now, its another few weeks later scenario, where Jo and Ellen get avoided like roadkill on a hot day.**

**Again, sorry for the wait. But enjoy!**

14.

'So ah Bobby, got any um,' Sam seemed to be struggling around the word he was trying to find. Like he knew what it was, but couldn't quiet draw it out enough. Bobby was losing his patience with the kid, and slapped him on the back of the head, telling him to hurry up and spit the damn thing out.

'Got any chicken feet we could run around with?' The two boys cracked up in laughter, Bobby flushed a deep red before throwing the pencil in his hand at Sam who deflected it easily, laughing even harder. Even Dean was sharing in the humour. The boys must have heard him mumbling in his sleep, right before he woke up with a start like he had never felt before.

Shaking away the lingering memories of chicken feet chasing him down the street, he told Sam to stop laughing and eat his breakfast. Dean had already stopped laughing and was downing coffee by the mugful. 'Is there a coffee drinking contest happening that we don't know about, or are you just really thirsty?'

Pausing, cup midway to his lips, Dean looked a little sheepish. Bobby imagined if he were able to see, his eyes would be wide like a doe caught in the spotlight. Dean slowly lowered the cup to the table, looking even more sheepish then before as he pushed it away, searching carefully for his plate of bacon and eggs, and not offering any reason at all for his camel like drinking habits.

'You ready for today?' Sam asked tensely, Bobby looked up in realisation. He had been so caught up with last night's discovery and feed for his stupid nightmare that he had forgotten that Dean's first appointment at Sioux Fall Hospital was today.

'I guess so.' Was all Dean offered before he deliberately shoved way too much food in his mouth and busied him with trying to chew it all done.

'That why you drinking so much coffee, add a bouncing bean to your stamina? Because I can tell you kid, all it's going to do is have you running to the toilet, so to say hoppy.' Dean smirked at Bobby, laughing falsely before reaching around for his cup again. 'Eleven o'clock.' Bobby offered as Dean changed the direction of his hand.

'Now I might not be here when you boys get back from the hospital.' He threw it in there as swiftly as he could, hoping they wouldn't notice it. But Sam's keen ears pricked up in an instant, turning his eagle like gaze on Bobby.

'Where are you going?' Sam asked, almost innocently. But if Bobby didn't know the kid better, he would have fallen for the innocence of the question. Instead however, he snorted and took a deep gulp of his coffee.

'Give him a break Sam, man problem needs sometime to himself without us two under his feet and causing chaos at every turn, and breaking everything.' Dean added a light laugh to it, but it didn't lessen the blow any, it still struck Bobby hard though and he regretted saying anything at all. But then if he left without saying anything… things would be interpreted however the boys saw fit, and then he wouldn't be there to rectify.

'It's a light supply run, getting low on a few ingredients that's good to have around the house.' He hoped Sam wouldn't probe anymore, but he noticed the way his eyes squinted in silent question. Meeting his gaze he saw him mouth the words, _in the garage, explanation_. Nodding he stood up and put his dishes in the sink before finishing his coffee and letting the mug join them.

Facing the two boys he watched them for a moment and contemplated just telling the truth, but he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. Sam would get all excited while Dean would get his back up and shut the whole thing down immediately. Ever since the faith healer and his father's death, Dean refused any assistance like that at all. I would not be fair on them, Sam in particular as he would get his hopes up them most.

It didn't take too much for Bobby to see how much everything was affecting the younger brother. He would always catch Sam with a guilty expression painted all over his face, or else on the verge of tears, mouthing a silent apology to Dean while he slept on the sofa during the day.

'You think you can cope with doing the dishes Dean? I need Sam's giraffe legs out in the shed for a minute, get something off a shelf.' Dean nodded, leaning heavily on the walking stick by his side to help him stand, picking up his plate with the other hand and slowly making his way towards the sink. Two and a half months out of hospital, and he was making good headway. Bobby beamed at Dean, proud of him for a moment as he watched him reach instinctively for the plug, his mind memorising everything already.

'Back in a minute Dean.' Sam clapped Dean on the shoulder before heading out the back door, Bobby following on behind him. His mind spun with theories as to why Bobby was going away for a few days. They had both agreed that hunting would be put on hold for the moment, that they wouldn't talk or discuss it in any way. Though Bobby couldn't completely stop with the phone calls that were always coming, they weren't meant to be going on about it anyway.

'What was that Bobby?' Sam exploded as the door shut behind them, barely able to contain himself.

'Settle yourself down you damn idjit!' Bobby growled back at him, slamming around on the work bench, trying to at least make it sound like they were doing something outside instead of just sneaking around Dean's back.

'We promised no hunting talk. Period.' Sam yelled back.

'I know, I know.' He wished he could just tell them the truth and get it over and done with, but that would certainly be too hard.

'Then what was it?'

'I can't say anything right now, but if I can get everything when I'm out I will tell you then.' None of that sounded convincing, he didn't even know if he was convinced himself. But Sam seemed to believe him, _for now._

'Fine, whatever, I need to go get Dean ready for his appointment.' Sam stalked out of the garage. Leaving Bobby to stand there questioning himself. When he walked back inside the two boys were arguing at the breakfast table.

'Dean I don't care, you have to go to this appointment whether you want to or not. It doesn't matter how well you are doing on your own, it is beside the point. Now get up and get ready before I carry you to bedroom and dress you myself. I will use brute force on you.' Sam was shouting, approaching Dean with a menacing look on his face.

'Okay, okay. Back off Robo-Mother.' Dean pushed himself to his feet as quickly as his leg would allow him too. Bobby chuckled by the door, and leant into the frame. For the sake of those boys, he would make sure that this would work, that he would be able to get Dean his sight back. The thought of the boy having to go through life without his sight… Bobby pushed of from the door frame and started putting the dishes away that Dean had already made fast work of.

'Don't you dare pop one of those pills Dean! You know they put you to sleep!' Sam ripped the bottle out of Dean's hands in frustration. He couldn't understand why he was being so difficult about this, it had come out of nowhere.

'Well give me my other pills then!' Dean demanded adamantly.

'Why are you acting like a child Dean?' Sam sank down on the bed with Dean and let his body deflate tiredly. He would probably have more luck with a child he thought.

'It hurts Sam, all the time. Sometimes I sit there and think; I'm so happy I can't see my leg because then I know I would just get more depressed. It's so not helpful being blind and invalid, it would be easier if I…' Dean drifted off, shocking Sam. His brother was never this open about his emotions. He knew where the rest of that sentence was headed, and was thankful he didn't finish.

Sam would have broken down completely if he had, hearing it out loud would have more it all the more real. As he reached over for the painkillers, he promised himself that from now on he would keep a closer watch on his brother, monitor his medication intake.

If Sam lost Dean that way, he didn't think he would be able to keep himself from following suit. 'Here you go, now get ready. Clothes are on the bed beside you. If you hustle we might not be too late.'

Bobby moved away from the bedroom door quickly, busying himself at a bookshelf as Sam walked through it seconds later. He had heard every part of that conversation and felt his heart break with each word. He thought of John, how he would have reacted in a situation like this, to hear his son talk about suicide.

Shaking his head, he felt guilty for being thankful John wasn't here. The hard man would probably slap his son on the back of the head and tell him to harden the fuck up with talk like that. It broke his heart to hear him talk like that, but there was nothing that he could do right now. Being there was no longer enough. He needed action.

'Make sure you call me and let me know how the appointment went Sam, I shouldn't be more then three days at the most, when I get back we will talk. Make sure Dean doesn't get in to too much trouble while I'm gone. I would like to find all the glass in one piece when I get back.' Sam laughed in response and nodded.

'Sure thing Bobby.' Sam walked up the stairs with a stiff back, while Bobby shoved a few vials and containers in to duffel before following Sam and retrieving the book he would need with all the ingredients for the difficult summoning.

Revving the engine to the old pick-up truck, Bobby tried to think of a quick and easy way to achieve his goal. Getting the ingredients was going to be no feat in comparison to what would come from the summoning.


	16. Salvation 16

**16.**

**AN; **

**So now you know what happened between Ellen and Bobby. I love the relationship that Bobby had with the boys and I thought I would use that to fuel the argument. And even though I think Dean and Jo would have been amazing together, I didn't go with it this time as I have another romance set up down the track for Dean and sadly they aren't it. So I thought I would make her pathetic and sooky, and Dean hard and embarrassed. Oh and awesome little brother Sammy was in there too!**

**Might add a little Dean hurt in to this chapter, just because he hasn't had any in a little while. So watch out, might even chuck some guilty Sam in there. **

Even though he had promised Dean he would go, Sam hadn't answered the phone calls from the hospital. The thought of speaking to a bunch of strangers about his brother just didn't come across as appealing to him. And what could he say anyway?

'_Hi my brother is a hunter and gets hurt all the time, but this time it was bad and that's all my fault because I wasn't there to back him up and now his blind and has a chunk missing out of his leg from the fall when he was attacked that got infected. Feel pity for me please?' _No, he couldn't bring himself to go to group sessions, or see someone singularly. Because no matter he couldn't discuss it the way he wanted to, the way he needed to.

So instead Sam went on long walks at the back of Bobby's property, or through the many piles of cars in the yard and talked to himself out loud or in his head. It seemed he was the only one who could give himself the answers he would need, because only he knew them.

Today was no different. Dean was passed out on the sofa, still no match for the pain medication he only took when his leg was bad. Alcohol was no match for Dean; he could throw it down like soda without missing a step. But pain medication knocked him down for the count.

Stopping at a large tier of cars, Sam sank down to the ground and lent up against one of the buckled cars and looked up at the many more towering above him, sighing loudly as he pulled a hand down his face and rubbed his eyes, yawning. He was so tired.

Dean had been pushing himself more and more lately at therapy, trying harder then ever to conquer the stairs so he could move back in to the bedroom with Sam. But that had resulted in keeping him up late at night when he would wake up crying out in pain, waking Sam with him. Dean wouldn't let him help though, sending him back to bed to lie awake listening to his brothers heavy breathing and soft moans of pain from downstairs.

No matter what he did Sam couldn't help but think that this all could have been avoided if he had just sucked it up and stayed with Dean, gone with him on this hunt and backed him up. Been there for him. Like he was always supposed to be, backing him up. Dean shouldn't have been there alone. He kept repeating that over and over in his head, seeing Dean sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, the way his eyes had looked with the slashes and the angle of his leg. The mumbled words of his delirium in the hospital after the infections had started.

Sam hadn't been able to tell Dean he had been talking in his delirium from the fevers, often when he had been sleeping Dean would call out for their mother, or whimper their dads name and beg him not to make the deal, not to waste his life for Dean's because he was a let down. That Dean wouldn't be able to look after Sam the way their father could. And to please stop fighting with him.

It had broken Sam, to sit there and hold Dean's hand through the mutterings. It was breaking him to lay there at night now and hear his brother moan in pain, and have to struggle with something as simple as a few steps and learning how to read again, with brail.

Letting his head fall in to his hands, Sam let the sobs wrack through his body, letting it all out the best he could before going back to Dean. Everything had been so much harder since losing their father, but Sam had hoped things were getting better, now they were set back and alone. Even Bobby seemed to have fled from them, not that he could blame them.

Sam found himself wishing he could just drive away for a few days, take a break. But that just left him feeling guiltier then before, forced more tears from his puffy red eyes.

'I'm so sorry Dean…' Sam mumbled before he felt his eyes slide shut and his body relax against the cars and he fell asleep, exhausted.

Running as fast as he could, Dean stumbled over something and looked down in shock. Beneath him was the lifeless body of his father, eyes milky white and staring up at him in betrayal and agony before pale blue lips started trying to form words. Terrified Dean bent down and started apologising to his father.

'You wasted my life Dean. I traded my breath for yours, a fathers beating heart stopped to keep his sons going and now it's going to waste. How could you be so weak, abandon your brother like this, make him look after you like some invalid.' John's voice was cold and empty, accusing, the way his empty white eyes were boring in to Dean's with resentment.

'I'm sorry dad, please.' Dean begged his father to forgive him but it was too late, the body had caught fire and the flesh was melting away in bubbling chunks that fell from muscle and then bone.

Turning away Dean heard someone scream in the distance and started to run towards the screaming, when something warm dripped on to his shoulder. Looking up he almost regretted it, the pale, angelic face of his mother's was looking down at hi, face framed perfectly by blonde locks that hung from her head. 'Mummy…' Dean whispered, reaching out a hand in desperation, wishing he could pull her down as more blood dripped on him from her abdomen.

Mary kept screaming as slowly the same fire that took his father started to engulf her, burning away her flesh so it fell and made sickening sounds as it hit the darkened floor. Sweat from the flames was running down Dean's body as he ran away from the horrible screams.

This wasn't his fault; he didn't do all of this. He hadn't killed his mother, the Yellow Eyed Demon had. The same way it had taken his father's life, though he felt responsible for that. Ahead of him, he felt relief when he saw Sam. But that was short lived when he called out his brother's name, and he turned to him, carrying the rotted and burnt corpse of his girlfriend Jessica.

'You bought me back in to all this Dean, daddy was missing again and you couldn't stand to be alone. So you dragged your little brother in to this shit hole life of back road motels and death. You took everything that meant something from me, my career, my love and my home. The first home sine mummy died.' Sam said coldly, looking down at Jessica's corpse.

'Now I have to look after you because you got in to more mess, went in over your head, like always and wasted the life our father gave you. Now your blind and can't even walk a few steps let alone dress yourself right. I have to do everything.'

Swallowing, Dean approached Sam, telling himself this wasn't true. He wasn't really saying these things, and even if he was he couldn't mean them. Sammy loved him, he was Dean's little brother, he had to love him. Sam was too nice to say these horrible things to him, no matter the truth behind them.

'Wake up and face the music Dean.'

Waking with a jolt Dean struggled to pull in breaths, panic clenching his chest in a death grasp around his lungs and heart. He didn't think his heart was ever going to stop beating so fast as he struggled to sit up, clutching around in the darkness, trying to find something, anything solid he could use to pull him back to reality as he struggled to breath.

When nothing seemed to be within his reach, Dean managed to stand on shaky legs, feeling the world spin around him from the lack of air he was pulling in to his oxygen starved lungs. Staggering, Dean limped towards the chair his brother had told him he would be in while they watched television, Dean tried to call out to him but his vocals wouldn't work around the strangelling panic.

Walking in to the heavy chair, Dean realised with more panic it was empty. Trying to call out, he felt tears slip down his cheeks as he headed towards the kitchen, unsure of where he was going when the phone started to ring. Heading towards the room, he ignored the jolts of pain as he walked in to numerous hard, unwelcoming objects. Hitting the wall, he groped for the phone, knocking it off the dial before sliding down the wall, gasping for help as he let the enveloping darkness take him in.

'_Sam? Dean?' Bobby called over the phone line, greeted by nothing but a thump and weak cries for help._

Jumping at the harsh sound of his ringtone, Sam blinked in the harsh light of the late summer evening, the chill starting to crawl in to the air with the coming autumn. Fumbling for his phone he looked at the caller ID before answering.

'Bobby?'

'_Where's Dean is everything okay?'_

'Yeah why?' Sam asked, clearly confused at the panic in Bobby's voice.

'_I just called the house and got nothing but clatter a thump and some weak cries from help, sounded like Dean so I thought it best to call you and make sure everything was okay since you didn't answer the house phone.' _

'What? I thought he was asleep, I'm out in the yard. I will call you back.' Sam didn't wait for a reply as he set off at a fast run, grateful for his long legs then as they helped him cover so much space in a short time that Dean would have been jealous if they were racing each other like they did as kids.

Bursting through the back door he spotted Dean immediately. Quickly putting the phone back on the receiver he moved to his brother and held his face in his hands, feeling the thready beat of his heart against his palm. Panicking he slapped him on the face a bit, trying to wake him up while his head reeled.

_What the hell had happened?_

Some of the furniture was moved around a little, but enough for there to have been a struggle with someone else. Casting another look around the room he noticed Dean's walking stick leaned against the coffee table where he had left it before going out for the walk, he had obviously fallen asleep on. _How could he have been so careless again?_

'Hey Dean, come on man wake up!' Sam urged as he slapped Dean lightly on the face, wishing he would just open his sightless eyes and wake up. 'Come on man! Don't make me call an ambulance!' But Dean wasn't waking up. Pulling out his mobile phone he dialled in 911 and gave them his address, telling them his brother wouldn't wake up and to hurry!

Then he dialled in Bobby's number, who answered on the first ring.

'_Sam what's going on, do you need me to come home?'_

'No it's okay Bobby, I will call you when I get to the hospital. I think he passed out, called an ambulance just in case.' Sam tried to keep his voice calm.

'_What on earth where you doing outside?' _

'I went for a walk Bobby, clear my head a little. He was out for the count because of the medication so I took advantage of that and got some fresh air.' The guilt seemed to slide off him and chunks at the words.

'_It's okay son, no need to be feeling so guilty. We all slip up sometimes. I woulda done the same, that kid has no resistance to those pills. Even panadol puts him out sometimes.' _

Bobby was right, but that didn't make him feel any better. He should have been there for when Dean woke up.

'_Call me when you get to the hospital and find out what happened.' _

'Will do, thanks Bobby. See ya.' Hanging up, Sam jumped up and ran around the house collecting all Dean's medications, some clean clothes and a bottle of water as the sound of sirens came closer. He greeted the paramedics at the door and led them through the house to Dean.

'Pulse is weak and thready, airways sound a little restricted. Push some fluid and oxygen while I go and get the gurney.' The female paramedic left then, leaving Sam with the younger male.

'Is there any chance your brother may have overdosed at all?' Sam was taken aback at the question but felt alarmed when he realised it was a possibility. Dean could easily have woken up in pain and gone for medication and mistaken the brail on the bottles, he still wasn't very good at ready it.

'I didn't look at his medication bottles, should I check if any are missing?' The paramedic nodded as he finished inserting the IV into Dean's arm, moving to place an oxygen mask over his face. And fitting a few heart rate monitors on his bare chest, a little peg on his finger that beat out an uneven rhythm on the portable monitor.

Frantically counting the pills quickly, Sam felt relief wash through his body. 'None are missing.' The paramedic just nodded and kept looking Dean over, finding a few new bruises that were beginning to bloom on his stomach.

'Do you know what these are from?'

'Shit, he is blind….' The words felt foreign as they rolled over his tongue. 'I was outside; he must have walked in to a few things…. I don't remember him ever bruising so easily though.' Sam looked his brother over then, noticing there were a lot of dark bruises on his body.

'You said he was blind?' The female paramedic was coming back now, the younger one was probing Dean's abdomen as he asked questions, pulling out a pad and pen to write things down.

'Only recently, about two to three months ago it happened. He was attacked and his eyes were badly damage, he broke his leg and got a pretty severe infection too.' That seemed to interest the paramedic then.

'What kind of infections?' He asked as the woman lowered the gurney so they could lift Dean on.

'Uh got a pretty bad one in the wounds on his eyes, then a blood one stemmed from that, it eventually spread through his body and began in the broken bone of his leg. It ate away part of the bone and muscle;' Sam swallowed; this was harder than it should have been 'after they removed the area though it seemed to be okay, left his leg in a bad way though.'

Dean was on the gurney by now; the female paramedic was arranging the IV and monitor so they didn't fall off.

'We would like for you to ride in the ambulance with us if you could. Anymore information you could supply would help a lot.' Sam nodded dumbly. Unsure of how much more helpful he could be. He clambered in to the back of the ambulance and took Dean's hand, answering any more questions he could.

'Balls.' Bobby cursed as he flipped the mobile phone shut and shoved it back in his pocket. He had to fight off the urge to drive back to Sioux Falls and be at Dean's side and help Sam out, but he was more helpful here. If all this worked he would be steps closer to achieving his goal.

Beside Rufus was raising an eye brow in question but Bobby just shook his head, they couldn't get in to it here. He had called his old hunting buddy in to help him break in to the collector's house. It was a two man job and Ash had made it clear he was a computer tech helper only.

'Let's hurry up and get this over and done with.' Bobby grumbled, it was bad enough it had taken a whole day to work this out, another for Rufus to get here, and top it off he had to wait another for the last two items to arrive in the mail.

All he could think of right now is putting his head in the game. Ash had only been able to work out a five minute window for them to get in to the house and retrieve the item before the backup generator would put the power back on.

'Keep your grey hairs on.' Rufus muttered as they both watched the lights surrounding the house go out, they took that as their cue to scale the fence and move through the large front yard at a quick pace and silently break a glass window.

Rufus held the tea towel over the window while Bobby tapped at the glass with a hammer and smiled when the only noise they were greeted with was the light tinkle of the glass sprinkling on the soft carpet they rested their dirty boots on a few moments later.

Thanks to Ash, they had entered the exact room they were searching for. His detailed blue prints were handy indeed, Bobby made a mental note to repay the kid somehow. Maybe with a few sleeveless flannels and band t-shirts that weren't beer or sweat stained from many drunken all-nighters at the Roadhouse.

The room resembled that of a torture chamber; the two older hunters shivered in unison as they looked around the room filled with macabre memorabilia from the Salem Witch Trials. Bobby spotted the wall he needed and headed towards it whilst Rufus kept a look out at the door for the security guard who got paid handsomely to walk the numerous rooms of the house.

Reading dusty labels, Bobby took the one he needed from its shelf and placed a fake in its wake; perfect with aged dust particles and almost fool proof ingredients contained in the aged glass vial. Pocketing the vial he signalled Rufus, they had two minutes before the grounds would be flooded with light and the security cameras were to come on.

They made it back over the wall as the lawns were flooded in light once more.

'Are you sure you needed help with this at all Bobby? That was a little simple for two people.' Rufus commented as they drove back towards the Roadhouse.

'Yeah, there was too much on the table if I was to get caught there. I needed someone to look out for the security guard.' Bobby was thankful when his phone rang, he answered with a quick hello, knowing who it was.

Pacing back and forth, Sam stopped when the doctor came towards him.

'Are you Dean's brother? The paramedics told me to look out for the tall one wearing a whole in the floor; I guess they give good directions.' The doctor was pretty, Dean was going to be pissed he couldn't see her, if we woke up… Sam's heart skipped a beat. 'Did you want to take a seat?' She pointed to the chair he had avoided for the good part of two hours while the doctor had worked Dean over.

Reluctantly though, he took the offered seat to be joined by the doctor. 'I'm Doctor Rees by the way,' she extended a hand that Sam shook limply. 'I have been looking after your brother for the good part of two hours. He isn't awake yet, but we do know what's wrong and we just need you to sign some forms to approve his treatment.'

'What's wrong?' Sam asked hurriedly, what kind of treatment did he need that needed his go ahead? Horrible images started pooling across his vision, making him dizzy with stress and anxiety. He let his head fall in to his hands again, like they had hours ago in the yard.

'He's going to be okay, it's just a nasty case of Anaemia. The antibiotics he would have been pumped full of during the first month of his accident would have severely repressed your brother's immune system which in turn has dangerously lowered his blood count. Now I am assuming he must have gotten up too quickly, and with the added stress of being blind would have added to the disorientation; your brother must have panicked. With Anaemia this severe collapse in not uncommon, it happens to a lot of patients when they stand too quickly and their blood pressures drops fast, it's a common reaction to low blood count.

'We just need your permission to perform a blood transfusion for your brother Dean; since he isn't awake right now we need your consent.' The doctor was thorough and gentle with Sam; she even felt her hand on his arm when he didn't look up as he struggled to control himself, tears welling in the corner of his eyes.

'So this wasn't my fault?' He whispered, more to himself then the doctor.

'Definitely not your fault, is everything okay Sam?' The question was genuine; he looked up in to the doctors eyes and nodded, unconvincingly. 'How long have you been blaming yourself for your brother's accident?' She asked.

'Since the beginning….' He resigned the answer all too willingly, shocking himself in to stunned silence. How had that just happened? He never gave personal information that willingly.

'You couldn't have known your brother was going to be attacked, it was a random act of violence. Even if you had known, there is no way you could have stopped it. Fate has a sure way of dealing unfair judgement; nobody can be there to protect someone their whole life.' The doctor still hadn't removed her hand; instead she moved it down to his hands and pulled them apart, holding them both in an understanding manner.

'You need to stop blaming yourself Sam.' There was a quiet pause as they sat there like that for a moment before she spoke again, more softly this time. 'There is a lady here, she helps a lot of people like yourself, relatives of people who have suffered a traumatic injury that has dramatically affected their lives, I would like to refer you to her.' Sam just nodded, Dean was right. He did need someone to talk to.

Sitting and talking with the doctor was proof enough he needed someone else, a support line. He took the papers from the doctor and signed them, asking if he could go through and see his brother after he made a phone call. She nodded, telling him the room number for Dean before walking over to the desk and alerting the nurse there he would be through in a few minutes.

Hitting Bobby's number once more, he was relieved to be giving some good news.

'Hey Bobby, its semi good news. No nothing overly life threatening, just a bad case of Anaemia.' Sam yawned around the words, still tired from his small nap in the yard, his back aching a little from leaning against the buckled car frame and dirt.

'Ah I think he will need a few transfusions, the antibiotics screwed his system to shit. Yeah I will keep you posted, hopefully when he wakes up and has had the transfusion he can come back home.' Sam shared a few more words with his only living father figure before hanging up the phone and heading to Dean's bedside, with a promise that he would do everything in his power to make it up to Dean for letting all this.

Anything.

**Please review :3  
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	17. Salvation 17

**17.**

The next day Dean received a surprise visit from Sarah soon after he had woken up. Sam had excused himself soon after she arrived with a phone call, offering her his chair as he walked out of the room, answering with a chipper hello as entered the hallway.

'When I heard my favourite patient wasn't coming in today I knew I couldn't pass up a chance for a visit, since I was in the hospital and had a free hour, I thought I was visit the little sickie.' Sarah laughed lightly and took Dean's hand to let him know she was there; he enjoyed the warmth of her touch and squeezed her hand in return. He had woken up feeling a lot stronger than he had been feeling the past few days.

'How do you feel anyway?' Sarah asked softly.

'Bit weak.' He whispered, ashamed of the words.

'Well there's no surprise there. I don't know how you got through all our sessions like that; you sure have some stamina in there Dean.' He couldn't hide the smile that sprung to his lips; she had a habit of that, making him smile without meaning to, just with the little things. It was nice.

'I thought I was just tired from our sessions and practicing at home, but when I woke up, guess it all caught up to me.' Sam walked back in then, an apologising look on his face as he pointed to the phone.

'I have an appointment to go to, I will still be in the hospital but; so if you need me just give me a call okay? Phone is at three o'clock and cup of orange juice, which I expect finished by the time I get back is at twelve o'clock.'

Dean gave his brother bird. 'Stop being a mothering little bitch.'

'I will when you quit being a crippled jerk.' Sam retorted leaving the room, Dean would let him savour the victory of last word for now. He would just get him back when he returned. It made him happy to know Sam had listened to him and made an appointment to talk to someone.

Dean sat in silence with Sarah for a while, thinking. He had purposefully being keeping his mind busy since waking up, plagued by the same nightmare that woken him the other day still lingering in the back of his head, keeping him afraid.

Even without being told Dean knew that Sam was out talking to the counsellor. The fact that he said he was going to he in the hospital was give away enough but the tone of his voice sounded a little enlightened, like a load was about to lifted from his shoulder. It had the tone he had often held as a kid when John would tell Sam he could ask Dean for help with some of his training. Sam always sounded so hopeful.

And Dean figured he could use a little hope at the moment. They were still waiting for a call from the transplant people, saying they had found someone who matched Dean, and he was getting his cornea transplant. If he had been able to see, Dean imagined he would spend all his time watching the phone, waiting with Sam's edge of hopefulness.

'You and your brother have an odd way of communicating don't you.' Sarah mused after a while and Dean knew she was referring to their nicknames for each other; they had been using them ever since Sam had turned seventeen. Only now they were a little different to fit the circumstances.

'It's like our father, calls us Idjits. It's the little things like that, which make us a family.' Dean smiled at that, the truth behind the words. Sam and Bobby really were the only family they each had now. For what it was worth, Bobby deserved to be called their father more then John did. He was more their boot camp teacher. The way the older man would drill training sessions and survival instincts in to them.

It had started early for Dean. As soon as he was five years old, he had spent years being envious of Sam. Escaping the hardship until he was at least ten years old, well on his way to turning eleven. And that was only because he had come to close to call with the handicaps of their lives. Dean could remember that horrible day.

Pushing the memory to the back of his mind with the nightmare, to battle each other against his brain he thought instead about Bobby, where he mad mysteriously disappeared to and what he was doing.

'You know it's nearly been half an hour and your haven't touched that juice once, something tells me your brother meant business when he said he wants that drunk before he returns. I give you another half an hour or so before he gets back, so I would make it snappy.' Sarah pushed the glass towards Dean's free hands that was resting on the little table.

Snapping to attention, Dean nodded and picked the cup up obediently and sculling the bitter, tangy liquid in one mouthful. He scrunched his face up against the zing of the orange and slammed the cup down. 'He knows how much I hate orange juice, any sour thing.' Dean moaned.

'It will help with the low iron in your system. Oranges are packed full of it.' Sarah offered helpfully. 'Did you want to move your leg around a bit in the bed? Stop it from seizing up too much? I can give you some helpful tips to stop that from happening if you like?'

'Yeah I'd like that, thanks.' Dean pushed the table away from the bed, hoping there was nothing in its path. 'Hope you don't mind me being in boxers, they haven't really let me get up much apart from the toilet.'

'No that's fine, plus it lets me see how everything moves.' Dean nodded and let Sarah move her delicate hands down his leg and move it in the joint and get the blood flowing properly, he sighed at how good it felt to move the cramping limb.

Sam could feel his leg cramping from the position he had been sitting in for the past half an hour, the small space between the only vacant seat in the room and the coffee table was too small for Sam to sit comfortably so he had crossed his legs instead. He was regretting it now though, ass the conversation moved on with sense of stopping anytime soon, his foot was starting to get pins and needles from lack of blood though.

Sometimes he hated being so tall, and wished he could pass it all on to Dean and resume being the short little brother like when he was a kid. Dean was always hanging on him for being so short when he was younger, now he got called giraffe and sasquatch. He just couldn't win with Dean.

Apart from when he left the room before, he had gotten the last word in. Smiling he pushed a lock of his too long hair (or mop Dean would call it) out of his face. It wasn't until the woman across from him spoke that Sam realised he had zoned out. All over again it felt like primary school, put on the spot for an answer to the question he hadn't even heard.

'Is something funny Sam? I didn't expect you to laugh when I asked that question, not when you were so upset before about it.' Kerry was a nice woman, a little to plump and expressive with her wild fashion sense and bright red hair that stood out like a lions mane, but Sam wasn't a hundred per cent on her yet.

'Sorry what question was that again?' Dean would have a field day with this woman he thought, the insults and retorts he would have in response to some of her questions she had already asked, working up her _profile _on him.

'I asked what started the fight that caused you and your brother to go off on his own without you there.' Kerry asked in a too deliberate and slow manner that made Sam squirm suddenly under her gaze.

But he simply laughed again, making her frowns in response. 'It was so stupid that we can't remember anymore, which I suppose makes it worse if anything.' Sam dragged a hand down his face and jiggled the leg he was slowly losing feeling, but hey at least it wasn't cramping painfully anymore.

'Our dad died recently, from a car accident we were all involved in. The doctors thought he was okay, just a puncture wound, few cracked ribs broken shoulder. The usual, but Dean was worse. They didn't know if he was going to be okay, he was sitting on the side of the car the truck hit the hardest. It hit dad really hard I think, me and him were fighting a lot and trying to be there for Dean at the same time, but shortly after Dean woke up; dad died. If anything we would have been fighting over something to do with dad, these days that's all we fight over, and Dean's health now.' Sam had needed to be careful with how he worded those events. One slip could mean trouble for him and Dean.

'So you don't recall anything about the fight, at all?' Kerry asked again, making Sam think for a moment.

'I think I yelled at Dean to stop acting like Dad, being so pig headed and gung-ho. Dad was always controlling, very much in to keeping fit and martial arts. He trained as kids and all through our teenage years, Dean will always be like dad in many ways; but that day I just snapped and we went our separate ways in the end.' Sam would never forgive himself for the things he would have said or for leaving Dean on his own but at least he would have it out of his system.

'So you and your brother have a tense relationship then do you?' Sam shook his head quickly.

'The opposite. We have one of the best relationships brothers could have. We can joke around and have fun with each other even now and still take it lightly. We fight, always but I think that's what helps us stay the way we are, it's kind of a healthy thing for us. We just don't normally fight to the extent we did whilst on the job that's all.' Sam's face collapsed when he realised what he had just said. _On the job_. How was he going to explain that one?

'And what job was that?' It was like being under a microscope the way she was probing him with her eyes, her words. Sam shrunk back in to the chair and looked down at his hands, twiddling his fingers. 'Sam, is there something you are not telling me? I can't form a proper profile to help you with, if you aren't telling me the truth.'

'We are mechanics, we've been looking for somewhere to settle down for some time now, a place to call home but we want to work in the same garage. But a lot of people have fired us or sent us on our way because of the way we act from now to now.' Sam thought on his feet with that, hoping it sounded truthful even a little.

If he'd been on the receiving end of those words he would have scoffed and pointed it out at a lie straight away. But thankfully this woman wasn't as bright as her hair colour and nodded in response, a knowing look on her face as she jotted more stuff down.

'Well Mr Singer I think it is time we changed that attitude of yours. It sounds like your brother and you have a good relationship and would do anything for the other. So let us say we start there. I want you to go home and think about things you could do differently for Dean, show that you are there for him from now on, and that there is no chance of you leaving again. It sounds like your brother is very insecure about that.' Sam scoffed, she had no idea.

'That attitude is what needs to change.' Kerry tutted, shaking a chubby finger in Sam's face, many bangles jangling on her wrist. He wanted to shove them down her throat for all the trouble she was going through to make things better. If Sam went home and followed her advice, he thought Dean would probably grab the nearest object and slam it through Sam's skull.

With or without his sight.

Things were bad enough with his overbearing mothering without making it clear he was never going to leave him again.

By the time he was able to leave, Sam was let down. The doctor down in emergency had sounded so assuring that Kerry would be able to help him. But after sitting there for an hour and listening to the animated woman talk about making things better with Dean, he knew his hope had been misplaced. His and Dean's relationship wasn't like normal brothers with normal jobs and normal attitudes. Not even close.

This was something he would, in the end; have to fix himself. Maybe it wouldn't even be so bad if he spoke to Bobby now and again about everything, or even tried to get Dean to open up by opening up a little himself. Give a little receive a little, that kind of thing.

Shaking the pins and needles that were rapidly spreading with the return of blood flow from his leg, Sam limped back to Dean's room.

'Carl Ratchet?' The post man called, climbing from the cab of his truck before heading around the back to retrieve the two large packages. Pulling them out he carried them up the pathway. Bobby nodded at the man, assuming his fake name for the moment as he stood up from the rocking chair he had been seated in, and signed for the packages.

Thanking the man he placed them carefully beside the rickety old chair and sat back down until the van was well out of sight. Standing up he picked up both packages and got in to his own pick up truck and headed back to the Roadhouse. Keen to be back on the road as soon as possible, but first he wanted to thank Ash and tell him to come visit Dean and Sam sometime soon, that it would do the boys some good to have a change of person around them. Not just some crotchety old man with a drinking problem.

On the road he called Sam and let him know he was on his way home and to check in on things, see how Dean was doing since he had been admitted to hospital. He was to be let out the next day after one more transfusion, and filling in another prescription to keep the iron and blood count where it should be, and vitamins to try and restore his immune system.

He couldn't help but tap along to the music playing on the radio as he drove. This was what they all needed, a break. And a big one too. This was like a holiday in the Bahamas for them. As soon as he got home he would be setting up for the summoning, then he would let Dean and Sam in on his plans, or maybe even just Sam in case Dean protested.

Ever since the ordeal with the reaper and faith healer Dean had become redundant against all forms of healing that weren't performed by a human being, not that he respected doctors any more then he did, which was very little; but no demon or reaper should be placed in that role. It was never a fair deal to him, there was always trickery and someone else suffering for their benefit behind the curtain.

Bobby didn't see the problem though, he felt a little cold at the though, but what was one person's suffering for the sake of someone who has worked hard to keep them safe for so longs sight to come back? He found himself not caring in the least if someone else lost their sight for Dean.

Turning the music up further he drove past a motel and considered stopping for the night but his nerves were too awake to allow him sleep now. He would just make the trek home without a break, if he got too tired he would pull over for a quick nap. Otherwise it was the home straight for him.

**Pretty please review, and let me know whether Dean should open up or not! :3**


	18. Salvation 18

18.

'Hurry up Sam!' Dean whined, fidgeting in the bed while he waited for his brother to help him out and in to the wheelchair he was being forced to use. It was that or don't leave at all. The doctors had even made Dean promise to take it easy and use the chair at home. Sarah had stopped by shortly after that with more exercises to keep his leg active in bed, and in the chair. Just small ones that would work all the muscles, if he did all of them in a row. Dean had promised he would.

Reaching out he smiled when his hand hit the small paper bag Sam had dumped on the table when he had come in to collect him from the hospital. He had been hoping it was something greasy from the diner or a takeout store, but it was just a bag of raspberry frogs. One of his favourite lollies, pulling one out he placed it in his mouth and sucked on the sweet lolly while his brother cursed over the chair.

'Do you need some help Sammy?' Dean asked around the lolly, sounding disabled which made Sam laugh at him instead.

'Maybe you do D-D-Dean.' Sam fake stuttered around his name. 'Seeing as you're the one who has to keep using a wheelchair, anyone would think you took to many hits to the head here.' Sam tormented Dean until he got the chair working and lifted his brother in to it.

'I am going to have some serious muscle build up by the time you finish using this thing and can walk on your own.' Dean laughed in response.

'Gonna grow some more man boobs more like.' Sam swatted him on the head.

'Bobby should be back when we get home.' Dean noticed how he used the word home, it felt warm and welcoming. He didn't comment on the word though, only nodded his acknowledgment. 'Wonder where he went, he told me he would share the secret when he got back but I don't know if he will remember, think we should bug him about it?'

'Maybe the old man has a woman on the sly.' He chuckled, pulling out another frog as he felt the elevator lurch to halt, turning his stomach nauseously. 'Man I hate elevators even more when you can't see, hospitals need ramps for people in wheelchairs so they don't have to use that thing.'

'What is it with you and things that go up high Dean? Planes, elevators, what else do you have a problem with like that? Escalators?' When his brother didn't reply he took that as a yes and laughed some more.

'Least I am not afraid of a pair of scissors or shavers Sammy.' That was Dean's favourite come back, Sam's too long hair that always seemed to be in his eyes or sticking up ungainly on the sides of his head, making it look like he had wings or oversized ears.

'Never did get the chance to ask you, how did the appointment with the counsellor go? She any good, or at least good looking?' Sam snorted out a laugh from his position behind them, he breathed in deeply when the cool air rushed at his face. It was the first day of Autumn today and the morning was fresh and warm, there was a little amount of sun that hit him in small patches as they headed towards the Impala.

'Ah, she's something.' Was all Sam offered as Dean listened to him open the passenger door, after a short warning he was helped up and put in the passenger seat, a blanket thrown over his lap.

'Thanks mother hen.' Dean sighed, he wanted to protest but the morning felt and smelt nice and he was sitting in the Impala, he didn't want to ruin a good day. Pulling the blanket in a little tighter he was surprised he found himself liking the comfort of it, the weight and warmth it supplied. Not that he would ever tell Sam that, otherwise he would be piling blankets on him all the time.

Breathing in the scent of the Impala Dean felt his spirits deflate. If there was anything he missed the most, it was being able to see and smell his baby. The Impala came second in the list of important things in his life, right after Sammy and Bobby. He had decided recently to class them under the one name; family. In his nightmares his dad would leave him alone, and take Sam away from him, to be blind and incapable on his own. Not even Bobby would help.

All because in the dream, John said he was a waste of his own life and that he deserved nobody's pity or help. When he was awake, this was all Dean could think of, so he held as much as he could from Bobby and Sam close to his heart, wishing it would somehow wash away the nightmares. But it never did, and he went to drug induced sleep each night with the flickering fear of what ordeal his dad was going to put him through in his sleep.

'Hey you okay?' Sam grabbed his arm then, shaking him a little. Dean started and turned his head in Sam's direction, shaking his head a little. 'What's up, you were smiling and happy before and now…. I dunno you look like you're about to collapse man, is everything okay?' Sam's voice was stressed, strained. Dean felt guilty.

'It's cool dude, just start her up and let's get out of this hell hole.' After a moments silence the engine purred to life with a comforting rev that seemed to soothe Dean a little before they pulled out of the car park, and he felt his stomach lurch. 'Dude tell me there's a bucket or something in the car.'

'Awh man no way, you going to puke?' Dean nodded slowly, hand going to his mouth, the other holding his stomach. He heard his brother curse, then the car swerve to pull over which only made his stomach heave more before there was a bucket of some kind being forced under his mouth.

Letting fly, he groaned in pain. He had barely eaten whilst in the hospital, except for the frogs before they left and the acid from the bile had burnt his throat on the way. His stomached ached from the retching too, as he leant back in to the seat and pulled the blanket closer to him with a slight shiver. 'Sorry.' He mumbled, going red with embarrassment.

'It's cool dude, I should have known better. Motion sickness, need to remember that one.' They both shared a small laugh before Sam pulled slowly away from the side of the road.

'What was that I just threw up in anyway? Smelt a lot like chicken or something.' Dean wiped his nose, swearing it felt greasy beneath his touch.

'A KFC bucket…' Sam wasn't a hundred per cent sure he should have told Dean that but he didn't exactly know what like to cover a chicken smelling bucket with.

'That's gross man, you better be taking care of this car! Why was there an old KFC bucket in here!'

That was the Dean he knew, Sam relaxed his hold on the steering wheel while his brother chewed him out for the rubbish in the backseat. He thought it would be best to let him get it out of his system before explaining, that and he liked the sound of having his normal brother back. Not the one who couldn't see, or got motion sickness in his own beloved car he often called Baby or Girl, like it was a living thing.

'Got that out of your system now? Think I can explain, or would your royal pain in the ass like to keep going?' He taunted Dean, laughing at the look on his face, trying to be angry whilst he just looked comical, the ceramic eyes weren't helping. They unnerved Sam a bit, but he hadn't said anything, couldn't.

'The bucket was in there from last night's tea. I tried to bring you up some but one of the nurses intercepted me and confiscated it, I think she might of eaten it for herself actually. Either that or she gave it to Kerry, the counsellor. Man that woman is large man, looks like she ate a lion and tried to become one too.' They both laughed again, as Dean's hand danced around the console as he tried to find the radio and switch it on. Sam fought the urge to help him, but instead used their clock face method to guide him around. Within moments mullet rock was blasting from the speakers.

Sam was glad Dean hadn't put the radio on, or there would be more hell for him to pay over his choice in station. Sam swallowed; it was like the car was slowly becoming his the more he drove it. A pang shot to through Sam's heart; would Dean ever be able to drive his baby again?

They quietly pulled in to Bobby's, Sam opted to stay quiet. Too scared to open his mouth, in case strangled words of guilt and misery spilled out in the place of normal words. He felt relief wash through him when he saw Bobby's truck in the driveway and the house lights on.

'Bobby's back!' Sam offered brightly, remembering Dean wouldn't be able to see the truck. More guilt washed through him, causing his hands to shake a little as he stepped out of the truck and helped Dean out, offering to carry him in to the house, receiving a punch and a grumbled I'm not an old man' for his efforts. Sam smiled, thankful for his brothers familiar sarcasm.

**Pretty please leave me some lovely reviews :D It really does help me to write so much more faster :p **


	19. Salvation 19

19.

'No way, just no!' Sam yelled. 'I can't do that to him Bobby, you should know how he feels about things like this, especially after what happened with dad and that reaper!' Sam couldn't believe what was coming from Bobby's mouth, at first he had felt a little hope and then dread as common sense kicked in. There was no way he could take any part in this, and he wouldn't allow Dean to either; he didn't even want Dean to know Bobby had been thinking of doing this.

But of course, the older hunter had gone so much further then just thinking, he had gone so far as to prepare everything and ready all the ingredients. In fact Sam was now standing inside the summoning circle, beside the alter Bobby had prepared while Sam was driving Dean back from the doctors. For the first time Sam had been thankful for Dean not being able to see the state the lounge room was in. The last thing his big brother needed was to be sent in to a fit of rage over this.

Sam knew that Bobby was only trying to help though; he tried not to be mad at the older man. But he couldn't let this happen, no way hose. With what Bobby had just told him, between Sam's denial about what he was saying of course; Bobby would need Dean in the room while he summoned the demon and then from there they would be left to chance with what would appear. And whatever that was they would need to take out their eyes.

There was a chance though that the demon could show up possessing a human. Sam didn't know about Bobby, but he wouldn't be able to take a person's eyes from them. Just because they were being possessed by a Demon didn't make them bad people that deserved to have their eyes ripped out.

'What if it is a person Bobby? What if the Demon comes possessing a meat suit? Then what will you do, just rip out their eyes with that medieval weapon over there?' Sam pointed to the object that looked like eyelash curlers, like the ones he used to watch Jess use in the morning; on the table.

'We don't know what the Demon will look like Sam, we need to take the risk; for Dean.' Bobby was in the process of removing his cap and pulling his hair back when Sam lost control and slapped the cap from his hands; slamming the older man against the wall in anger.

'How many more times do I have to say no Bobby? This. Is. Not. Happening!' He let go of Bobby's shirt and threw the man away, stalking from the room to contain his anger. He didn't understand what Bobby had been thinking when he had made the decision, and without consulting Dean or himself too.

In his bedroom, Sam slammed his fists against the wall and let his heated forehead rest on the cool wall for a moment before pushing away, realising that Dean hadn't been seated where he had left him in the kitchen while he went and talked to Bobby.

Panic coursed through Sam as he took the stairs three at a time, he had let his own anger get the best of him. He hadn't even bothered to keep his voice down in the end, as he had when Bobby first launched his plan on him. What if Dean had heard their conversation.

Finally feeling the full impact of both his leg, and lack of eye sight, Dean began to wish he hadn't been so pigheaded and stubborn. If he had just stayed seated where he was, tried not to listen to Sam and Bobby yell about him, discuss his situation like he wasn't even human, then he wouldn't be battling his way through the car yard right now, shivering in the afternoon chill.

Unlike the apparent distaste and anger that had licked through Sam's voice carrying loudly from the lounge room, Dean knew Bobby had only been trying to help when he had gone and arranged whatever it was he had set up. Judging by Sam's avid denial of it taking place, it surely can't have been a walk in the park. And then he had heard Sam say something about a meat suit, and removing their eyes.

That was when he had decided to leg it out of there, get as far away as he could before any of this could take place. His sense of self-worth was far too low for him to even consider risking a human life to save his own eye sight. Even with knowing that Bobby thought this was the right thing, he didn't want to hear the older man's response; if he would have been willing to remove an innocents eyes just for him.

It just wasn't on. Not in a million years, not even over his crippled dead body would he allow that to happen. As sucky as the past few months had been, with the rehabilitation and being hunkered down in the one place for so long, Dean would never be able to risk another's life for his. Even if it was just taking their eyes.

Tripping over something, Dean stumbled and put his hands out in shock, trying to find some leverage to hold himself up, but there was nothing. Only cool air met him as he rushed towards the ground. He grunted as the fall winded him, this was something he didn't enjoy that his body was becoming adjusted to. The amount of times he had fallen over, whether in rehab or here at the house, it was becoming annoying. Even though he was been given lessons on how to steady himself, or even how to angle his body to minimise injury when he fell, it didn't stop it from happening.

_Maybe I should let Bobby do this thing, then it wouldn't be so hard to deal with my leg perhaps.. _Dean shook his head in determination. He wouldn't do this, wouldn't allow it. This was just a small moment of weakness he was experiencing right now. It was so be expected, he was cold and angry and just wanted to be left alone. He couldn't take Sam fussing about him all the time, or the way Bobby would treat him now, like he was some damn invalid who needed all the pity in the world.

Pulling himself to his feet, Dean shook off the dirt he could feel on his clothing and placed his hands out in front of him. The plan was to make it to the road, and hopefully, catch a lift in town. He just hoped that he wouldn't get in to the wrong type of car, with a rapist or worst. There were certain evils in life, he just didn't want to be associating himself with. He dealt with enough of the paranormal kind without having to deal with the human ones as well.

Shaking off the unnerving thought that was no putting much unwelcome scenarios in his head, he finally bumped in to the houses fence line. Stepping out on to the footpath he made a beeline for what he hoped was the road and stuck a hand out, wishing someone would come by quickly. Before Sam realised he was missing and went in to ultra-mother hen mode and dragged him back inside the house.

The sound of a car stopping pulled him from his thoughts.

'Dean?' He knew that voice.

When the upstairs search didn't bring any results, Sam knocked shoulders harshly as he passed by Bobby who was standing baffled inside the doorway to the lounge room. He didn't know Dean was missing yet, missing and it was all his fault. After a too hurried search in all the rooms downstairs, and even shouting Dean's name down the basement stairway, Sam heaved in a deep breath and headed for the front door.

As much as he didn't like it, the only place left for Dean to be; was outside.

Grabbing two coats from the hook by the front door he moved outside. It was early afternoon now, and the sun had long since lost its late morning warmth and was now shining down in contrast to the cold, crisp blue skies.

Staring up in to the sun for a minute he called out Dean's name in some hope his brother hadn't gotten too far away yet, and that even though he had left the safety of the house to get away from he and Bobby, that he would reply. But he wasn't so lucky, only the lonely call of birds came back to him. Growling at the back of his throat, Sam shrugged in to his jacket and slung Dean's over his arm and set off to search the yard for his older, if not mentally younger, brother.

_Why couldn't he just stay where he was, instead of barging ahead and assuming the worse?_

But then if Sam had kept his voice down, spoken civilly with Bobby instead of raising his voice then none of this would have happened. All the blame went back to Bobby, as much as it hurt him to feel like that towards the only fatherly role he had ever known in his life, despite the vain attempts of his actual father; he couldn't see fit to blame anyone else.

'Dean, come on man! I don't know what you heard, but if you had stayed for just a few moments more you would know we aren't going to do anything Bobby is suggesting! I shut him down full stop!' Sam shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping that wherever his brother was, his voice would carry to him.

More silence met his desperate pleas. Sighing , he dragged a hand over his face before pulling them back through his hair and turning on the spot. Now was not the time to be he weak, concerned brother he knew he always came across as. He needed to be a hunter, and a damn good one right now. If there were any chance he was going to find Dean it was that way. Even without his sight, he knew Dean would not do things half assed. Dad had drilled that in to his eldest long ago.

Staring down at the ground, he picked up the boot marks on the ground. He wasn't a hundred precent sure they were Dean's, there was no tell-tale sign of the walking cane he used to get around these days. His throat tightened more, did that mean Dean was limping around, probably in pain, without his sight or walking aide? _What if he falls over? _

Sam began to fall apart again, his mind going back to the blame he had for Bobby and the worry for his brother. Pulling himself together he looked down at the tracks again; he placed his foot against the print and was certain they were Dean's. They were a toe smaller than his own, but not as wide as Bobby's. Plus there was an obvious amount of pressure applied to one foot, showing his limp in the indentation it left in the dirt.

Following the prints, he started to stress more and more. They were heading towards the front of the house, to the road. Somewhere Dean hadn't ventured to yet. Sam had kept him within the constraints of the house and its fencing. Not ready, or sure Dean was competent enough to manoeuvre the streets on his own yet. He knew it wasn't the right thing to do, to coddle his brother that way, he knew it drove Dean insane.

But after losing their dad, and coming so close to losing his brother so soon after because a mistake he had made, in leaving his brother behind after a petty fight, he didn't want to risk having him too far out of his sight again.

Stopping quickly, he righted himself before he tripped over a fallen exhaust pipe. There were scuff marks and more outlined markings on the ground telling him Dean had fallen. He knew for sure that his brother would be in pain now, and even angrier, he had been there every time his brother had fallen down to help him when needed, even when he was too stubborn to ask.

'Dammit Dean…' Then he heard it, the unmistakable sound of a door slamming shut, and the hum of an engine and the gravelly sound of tyres pulling back on to the road. Starting at a run, Sam reached the gate just as the car turned the corner of the road and he saw the unmistakable shape of his brother's form, slumped in the passenger seat.

'Dean!' He shouted hoarsely.

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	20. Salvation 20

Salvation By Ebunni Supernatural Fanfiction

**Chapter 20**

**Sorry for the wait, but here's an extra long chapter. **

The car ride was silent. The two passengers unsure of what to say, having not shared many words beyond Dean's silent plea for Sarah to drive, and do it fast after he had ambled in to her car, out of breath and sweating. After pulling away from the sidewalk, she had cast a glance in the rear view mirror to see her very attractive, blind patient's equally good looking brother hit the sidewalk with a harried and stressed look on his face.

For a moment she had considered pulling over and handing Dean back over to his brother. But the way he was breathing heavy, and the obvious tear stains that were tracking down his cheeks made her think twice and she had turned the corner, out of sight of the younger sibling.

This was way out of control, doctors weren't supposed to be involved with patients. She had tried to cover her visit to him in the hospital as patient care and doctoral concern, but there was something niggling in the back of her mind that seemed to point out every flaw in that statement. She was attracted to Dean, and nothing seemed to make that any less better.

Not to mention she couldn't even bring herself to take herself off Dean's case, assign someone else to his rehabilitation. She had filled the forms in, signed them and made it all the way to the office before she had chickened out and walked back to her office sullenly, resigning herself to her emotions.

And now here they were, sharing the same small confined space of her very little car, in such close proximity she could feel the shivers rolling over his body. He was dressed only in a light over shirt and cotton t-shirt. Hardly clothing for the chilly weather, she reached over and hit the button for the heater and noticed him jump when the heater clicked and clunked as hot air began to blow out. Of course she would startle a blind man.

Sighing she ran a hand through her hair and cleared her throat, preparing to say something, she had to. They couldn't sit in silence for much longer now, plus she had a burning desire to know what had happened between the two brothers who were so close, they were practically inseparable.

'Dean… What happened?' She asked softly, keeping her voice low and measured. This time, she didn't make him jump or scare him at all. But he still didn't reply. He stayed silent in his seat, sinking back in to the shabby material. Could the fight really have been so bad, that he didn't want to address it?

'Come on Dean, you will have to tell me or I am going to take you straight back to Sam.' It worked; he turned his blind eyes on her and took a deep breath.

'My dad, he's starting to turn to desperate measures. I didn't realise how much losing my sight had affected him, he approached Sam about it, after our appointment this morning and I heard everything, the whole fight between them. Dad's looking in to something black market I think.' It was a skewed version of things, not the truth but not so much a lie either. He hoped Sarah would take it, and if she did that she didn't offer to take it to the authorities. 'I just had to get out of there.'

'Oh my God Dean…. That's horrible!' Sarah gasped beside him.

'If you could just drop me off at a motel with one floor that would be fine, I can find my way from there. Thank you though, for the lift.' Dean offered, he was already planning his escape plan. He couldn't go back to Bobby and Sam.

During the quiet car ride over Dean had given himself the chance to think logically. His being around Sam and Bobby was affecting them more then he thought it was. If they were willing to consider destroying another's life for his benefit, then he needed to leave. And now.

Things were obviously getting to out of hand.

The longer he was a burden to them, the worse things were going to get. Who knows what drastic moves they would try next? He couldn't allow anything to happen.

'Look Dean, I was happy to take you away for say the day? But anything longer than this, I'm sorry but it really isn't my place to get between you and your family. I know you think what they were discussing is a horrible and illegal thing, but it isn't all that of a bad thing. It just shows how much they care about you. I think if you went back, and talked to them then I think they would understand and back off. From what I hear, you are on the top of the transplant list for Cornea's at the moment okay? So it shouldn't be long before you have your sight back again. You just have to be patient.' Sarah tried desperately.

'I can wait patiently away from them, can you please just drop me off at a hotel and then if it makes you feel better just put me out of your mind. Trust me it will do you a world of good.' Dean grunted. Sarah pulled the car over violently and his stomach heaved, but he held back the motion sickness.

'Not only is this illegal, and by God I should turn around and drive you right to the front door of your house right now, but I will not accept that after all this time we have spent getting you back on your feet you just want to turn around, throw it all out the window and turn your back on anyone that cares enough to do something for you?' Dean was taken aback by the sudden outburst.

He hadn't thought about it any other way, he had only considered his own position in all this. How he was the burden, how he was the one being affected by their affection and caring. Not once had he considered they were doing these things because they were hurting too. Typical Dean Winchester attitude and reaction. Never stopping to think, or work through things; just diving on in, head first in to unknown dangers.

Isn't that what landed them in this position in the first place? His pig headedness which caused him to fight with Sam, going in half-cocked and unsure before even doing sufficient research about the fugly they had been in the middle of hunting?

He sighed.

'Maybe we can just grab some lunch then? I haven't eaten since before our session and I think I could really use a stiff drink right now. Sam will find me soon enough, then he can take me home and mother me within an inch of my life after he yells at me…' Sarah sighed beside him, she couldn't refuse a man that sounded so resigned and defeated.

'Fine, but if your brother doesn't show up after an hour, I am going to call him and tell him where you are, maybe even offer to drive you home.' She needed to act like this was at least a little not what she wanted to do. Secretly though; she couldn't be happier to have Dean in her car, outside the pain and struggles of her rehabilitation room. And the drink part? That was just an added bonus on top of things.

Sarah smiled, blushing heavily. Oh god was she glad that he couldn't see her right now, she was blushing like a teenager with a crush on her teacher. Glancing over at him, she spotted the grimace of pain that shadowed his blind eyes, as his hand unconsciously massaged the damaged area of his thigh. 'Do you need some pain killers? Maybe I should just take you straight home?' She asked, concerned for his well-being; even as she prayed he said no. Who would know if she would ever get a chance to share a drink with Dean Singer ever again?

Closest they had come to sharing a drink, was a bottle of water after a session. And somehow that didn't seem to match up against an alcoholic beverage.

'No it's okay. I can only take them on a schedule, plus I am trying to slowly ween away from them too much reliance for my liking. That and they put me out like a light. I can drink anyone under the table, but something as small as a little white pill? I'm out before the thing can even breakdown in my system.' Sarah laughed lightly, Dean's smile that followed was illuminating and seemed to light up the whole car. _Had she ever seen him smile like that before? _

They pulled up at a bar, Sarah had been a here a few times now and had come to love the burgers and drinks. The staffs were friendly and the place didn't seem to hold many idiots who got recklessly violent on the drink. Which was a lot more then could be said for a lot of places in town, whose reputation could darken anyone's view on a place.

'How do burger and a beer sound? Or are you more a whiskey man?' Sarah offered as she opened the car door, and helped Dean stand up, he was a little unsteady at first, and then she noticed the small tear in his jeans and the ragged area around his knees. _Did he fall over? _How could she have been so careless and not noticed that straight away? _Good job Sarah, you make a great doctor don't you? _

'You're bleeding!' Dean's mouth paused mid-sentence, he had been about to answer her question.

'Ah yeah, I fell over on my way out of the house. Not really all too familiar with the front yard yet, Sam has me on a pretty tight leash.' There was a small pause as a little smile tugged his lips slightly upward. 'And I drink just about anything as long as it doesn't come in some quirky glass or weird name.' His smile hit all watts and she was almost blown away. _Okay, definitely never seen that smile before. _Sarah made a mental note on working that smile out more often.

'Well I think I should fix your knees before we go in. Don't know if the dress code allows bloody knees.' Sarah guided him back down to the car seat, positioning him so he was facing her before moving to the boot to fetch her medical kit.

Removing a pair of scissors she felt her skin heat up and flush deep red, there were so many things she could think to do with these scissors. Any many of those things included removing _all _jeans, not just the jagged bloody pieces around his skinned knees. She had seen Dean Singer push himself to his breaking point, knew how strong he was, his sculpted biceps and the tone of his thighs beneath the shorts he wore. She could just imagine how his abs would look, his sculpted body and… she blushed even more, thinking about what could lay beneath those pants. It made her burn with desire.

'What did you trip over?' He was looking down at her, his blind eyes unseeing but still she blushed even more, if that was possible. She looked back at his leg; his knees hadn't been so bad. They had just needed wiped down with an alcohol wipe. But the cut along his calf was deeper, dirty. Possibly more then she would be able to deal with.

'I don't know really, I had to make it through a car yard to hit the road so… could have been anything. Funny though, because I can't really feel much, I think my nerves are a little messed up.' This interested Sarah on the medical side of things.

'Have you told your doctor?' He shook his head. 'Dean why? This could be something bad!' She hadn't meant to sound so bossy or controlling. She apologised and returned to cleaning out the wound, upon deeper inspection it wasn't as bad as she thought, but still it should have hurt. Especially when she started rinsing the area with saline solution, Dean still didn't wince.

'It's just surface nerves I think, I can still feel the ache of the muscle and the bone where it was broken, but it's like, the top layer of skin or something.' They were both silent for a moment, then it was broken by a loud grumbling. This time she noticed Dean was the one who was blushing, it just made her follow suit in response. 'Sorry.' He mumbled, turning his head away.

Giggling lightly, she bandaged up the area and washed her hands with a wipe quickly. 'I won't keep you from our meal any longer.' They moved slowly in to the bar, it was loud and popular. They slid in to a booth and Sarah read the menu to Dean. He quickly chose the burger and a beer with a whiskey chaser. After ordering she returned to the table to find his hands dancing gracefully along the table top, his fingers resting lightly on the knife and fork for a short moment before moving on to the next item within his reach.

It should have been something familiar for Sarah, after working with patients like Dean for most of his career, but never had she seen someone quiet so graceful as this strange and alluring man sitting in front of her. She didn't even mind the silence that settled over them, it was peaceful and welcoming to her. In fact, this was the most at ease she had ever been with a man before.

Their drinks arrived and Sarah guided Dean's beer in to his hand before taking a large mouthful of her own. On more then one occasion she had been told by her friends and work mates that she drank like a man, but she had never minded before. She smiled around the lip of the bottle as Dean took a mouthful as hearty as her own, downing the bottle in nearly one go.

'Haven't had good drinks like that since our last gig.' Sarah pricked an eye brow in interest, was Dean a musician?

'Why Dean Singer are you in a band?'

'What makes you think that?' Sarah felt her hopes deflate a little, _had she been hoping he was some super-hot magician? _This man just held so much mystery it almost baffled her.

'You just said your last gig, and I thought perhaps you meant the musical kind. You kind of look like you rock an old school sound, guitar or drums perhaps?' Dean's eyebrows rose, a small smile quirking at the corner of his lips. _How does he keep smiling on so many different levels of attractive? _Looking away quickly, from those lips and her seductive thoughts of biting one; Sarah looked towards the door as it opened and a large black man entered. He looked suspicious, not the usual clientele for this place, and had a dangerous air about him and the gait with which he walked was menacing.

'As flattering as that is Sarah, and trusts me; I love nothing better than hearing that from someone- my brother will throw a fit of denial when I tell him you said that- but no musician here. A little guitar here and there maybe; but I am…' Dean trailed off and laughed curtly, 'sorry, I _was_ a mechanic. But I guess that career is down the drain now. I'm about as useful in this life as a doorknob that doesn't turn right now.'

'Well I'm sure that's not true at all Dean, there must be something else you're good at it. Outside of cars I mean.' But her surprise lunch date shook his head in denial, that half-cocked oddly sad smile crossing Dean's lips.

'This had been my whole life, I travelled in my baby, family in the back seat and just picked up work as we went, going where it took us. Never staying somewhere too long, but now it looks like I will be throwing in my wrench and trading in the overalls for loose jeans and a walking cane.' Dean fought back the fighting tears that pushed at the back of his eyes; he hadn't been this open since it had happened. Sam was pushing for this moment, to get Dean to talk about his feelings and share that chick flick scene; but Dean hadn't been having any of it. \

Yet here he was in a obviously crowded bar, trying not to cry in front of a woman who had seen and heard him at his worse, cursing and almost caving to weakness. Sighing, he lifted the bottle of beer back to his lips and downed the rest of the cold liquid. Sam was going to have him alive for drinking, they had both agreed to no alcohol until Dean had gotten more of a hold on his pain medication. It had become obvious the two weren't a pair that went hand in hand, but right now he needed it.

Hand crawling along the table, he clasped the whiskey chaser and downed that too in record time. Slamming the glass down on the table he buried his head in his hands and let himself have a moment to collect him-self. Slightly shocked when he felt the warm hand that caressed the back of his neck, and the warm breath on his cheek as Sarah's other hand wrapped around his shoulder and moved in a light massaging motion that had him close to melting.

'You should never feel like that Dean, because to someone you are more useful than breathing. What about Sam? Something tells me, the way you talk about him, how supportive he is with you, that he wouldn't do very well if you weren't in his life.' The two of them stayed silent for the moment, before Dean stirred and sat up.

'Would you mind taking me home please?' Dean wiped a hand down his face and sighed. 'I should get back to Sam before he tears the place apart looking for me.' Sarah nodded.

'Okay, come on.' She looked around as she helped Dean stand up, working out a mental route to walk him out without bumping in to anything or anyone. In her mental landscaping she noticed the large black man from earlier staring at them intently, he stood up as they made their way towards the door and followed them.

Sarah wasn't sure whether to tell Dean or not, the man was spooking her but she didn't want to alert Dean to something that could be nothing. And as much as she hated to admit it, there wasn't a lot he could do for them anyway.

'Dean Winchester?' Dean froze in Sarah's grip, the voice pinning him to the spot. Deep an menacing, he slowly turned towards it, breath coming in short gasps of panic. _This couldn't be happening, not right now. _

'Dean why did he say Winchester? Who is he?' Sarah's voice showed her panic, and Dean knew who it was one hundred per cent in that moment. Then Sarah was screaming, her grip wrenched from his arm and then the sound of skin impacting skin, the thud of a body hitting pavement.

There was no time to think, nor react after that. Dean didn't even get the chance to flinch before something collided solidly with his temple and he dropped like bricks beside Sarah, unconscious as blood pooled beneath the split skin.

**Dun Dun Dunnn!**

5


	21. Salvation 21

Salvation By Ebunni Supernatural Fanfiction

**Chapter 21**

**So reviews will make me pump these chapters out quicker.**

It had been well over an hour now that was as long as Sam was willing to give Dean. Usually after that time frame his older brother would contact him or come back home, or to whatever motel they were staying in at the time. Sam understood he needed time to cool his head, but now that time had been and gone, and was pushing on two hours. Panic had abated and been replaced with anger only for that to melt in to concern.

'He still hasn't come back yet? Or called you?' Bobby was standing in the doorframe, leaning against it with a solemn look on his face, the two had had it out with each other within the tense hour, yelled it through and set things straight. Bobby had promised to never bring up the likes of his suggestion ever again; Sam had made damn sure of that.

'No, I don't think he could call me even if he wanted to. Can't see the numbers and I haven't had the chance to help him work the audio or voice activation on his new phone yet. Jesus Bobby, who knows whose car that, was!' Sam had been beating himself up for letting Dean go, and now it was coming back to kick him in the teeth.

A vibrating broke through his senses though and he reached in to his pocket and pulled out his phone, seeing a number he didn't recognise he was a little reluctant to answer but did held it to his ear nonetheless. 'Hello?'

'Sam?' He stood straight immediately. That voice was familiar; he just needed to put a name to it. 'It's Sarah; I am one your brother's rehabilitation doctors.'

'Oh yeah Sarah hi, sorry my brother said you gave him permission to leave early. Is everything okay?' Sam's brow wrinkled in confusion, wherever Sarah was it was busy and loud. A lot of voices and sounds were beeping in the background, making it hard for him to focus on what she was saying.

'No, I mean yeah he was allowed to leave early. But that's not why I am calling –.' Sam picked up on the hesitation immediately and began to pace back and forth on the front patio, ignoring the silent pleas for information coming from Bobby.

'Sarah?' The background noise was becoming a large distraction as he awaited the reply from Dean's doctor.

'Ah yeah sorry I'm here. Is there any chance you could come back to the hospital, I need to speak with you in person. Please?'

'Yeah sure I will be there as soon as I can; look does this have anything to do with my brother? Is he okay?' Sam hoped to get something more out of the phone call but Sarah simply told him to come as soon as possible and hung up, leaving him edgy and nervous. This couldn't be a good thing.

Pushing past Bobby he grabbed the Impala's keys and felt a little better when he sunk in to the driver's seat and let the rumble of the engine work a little of her magic on him. _God would Dean have a field day if he knew about this… _ Putting her in reverse he pulled out down the drive and sped towards the hospital.

Sarah was sitting up with the support of three pillows, wishing the emergency room lights weren't so goddamn bright, the throbbing behind her eyes had been building gradually since she had first woken up; at least the room had decided to stop spinning for her though. The doctor had been in five minutes ago and told her about the concussion, the swelling in her brain and that they would be admitting her for overnight observation. In other words she was facing a sleepless and painful night.

Swelling had already set in along her jaw, and the skin felt tight and pulled on the stitches in her hairline, making her wince whenever she spoke or opened her mouth too wide. The phone call to Sam had been a trial and error sort of thing; she tested her limits and speech ability. Needless to say, she hadn't lasted too long.

'Betty!' Sarah called out, grimacing a little but managing to catch the young nurse's attention. 'I am expecting a Sam Singer to come in and see me, it's urgent so when he arrives could you please bring him straight through?' Betty nodded and turned to go, but Sarah called her back. 'Did Gary say anything about pain medication by any chance?'

'Sarah you should know better than to mix certain pain medication with a concussion. We can't let you get too sleepy, sorry Sarah.' The young nurse walked away with a sad smile after patting her on the leg.

There wasn't a long wait before Sam's hulking frame was making its way towards her bed; Betty was practically drooling on him as she directed the attractive young man to her cubicle. _Imagine if she saw Dean… _Sarah smirked, that man sure had a way on women. It must run in the family she thought, imagining what their parents looked like. They must have been a handsome couple to create such beautiful offspring.

'Sam hi, thanks so much for coming so quickly!' She exclaimed, smiling a little too widely and groaning in pain. Whoever hit her on the head sure deserved what he had coming when the police tracked him down. She would make sure he suffered herself if need be. Reaching for the ice pack recently disposed of on the bedside counter she pressed it against her swollen jaw and sighed.

Sam was standing beside the bed looking like a lost puppy, mouth in a thin line of worry as his eyes cast over her head and stitches, took in the swelling and all the monitors in the room. There was definitely something not right about these brothers, with their eyes like hawks.

'Do you know where my brother is?' Sarah hadn't expected those to be his first words, but wasn't all together surprised at the same time.

'I did, but now I really don't know.' Sarah felt tears well up in her eyes; she didn't know why she was so upset. Probably because she felt like it was her fault Dean had gone missing on her watch. She should never have taken him away from safety. Whatever that may be classed as.

'What happened? Start at the beginning, the little things could be the most important.' Sam sank in the guest chair, pulling a notepad and chewed ballpoint pen from the inside pocket of his jacket. _Have they been through something like this before? _Baffled, Sarah sat there mutely for a minute, struggling to find words in all this mess. Her head was aching, making it hard to focus.

'I found Dean a little away from what I assume was your house, and he looked like a mess so I picked him up, he practically begged me too. He tried to talk me in to taking him to a motel and leaving him there, but I refused so he settled for a drink and some lunch.' Sarah took a deep breath, Sam's stare was piercing, but she hadn't missed the flicker of hurt that made them wince a little when she mentioned the hotel. 'Everything seemed fine, apart from this man but I don't know….' She drifted off, pressing the icepack against her stitches.

'What did he look like?' Sam asked, clearly interested.

'Uh, tall and really severe looking you know? Some people just have that mean look about them, and he was uh, this sounds so racist, but he was black, which I think made him look all the more menacing then he already did. He barely took his eyes off Dean the whole time we were there.' Sarah took in a deep shaky breath, Sam looked stricken and panicked at her admission but he hadn't said anything so she went on. 'Dean wanted to leave suddenly, realising he should stop you from worrying, so we stood to leave and I helped him outside, and then the man called out his name but used a different last name; Winchester? Does that make any sense to you?'

'No that uh, makes no sense at all. How strange, but I think I know the man you are talking about.' Sam's mind was ticking over; he needed to work out a way to word this without arising any sort of suspicion from Sarah, not that she wouldn't already be, what with being there when Dean had been taken. Gordon Walker was as shady as they came. He had also become their number one enemy.

'Is Dean in danger?' Sarah asked quietly from the bed, her face crestfallen.

'Yeah I think so…' Sam didn't see the point in hiding the truth; Sarah was already too involved in this.

'I am so sorry, this is my entire fault; if I had just driven Dean home… None of this would have happened.' Sam felt a little uncomfortable as Sarah began to cry, he watched as tears slid down her cheeks. Shifting in his seat, he coughed and placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving it a pat.

'It's okay, I am sure this would have happened no matter what. If anything I should be apologising to you for getting stuck in the middle of all this.' Sam didn't exactly mean those words, but if it stopped the woman from crying then he was willing to throw anything out there. 'Uh I am really sorry Sarah, but I need to get out there and look for my brother, this man is big trouble. Thank you for taking the time to take care of my brother after our fight.' Sam stood up and gave Sarah another non-committal pat before leaving quickly, finding comfort and solace again from the Impala.

Cold shakes brought Dean back to consciousness, his head ached and his skin was coated with goose-bumps, the only warmth he had to rely on right now was the sticky blood that was oozing down his cheek from the hairline laceration. Trying to stop his teeth from chattering loudly, Dean struggled to draw in deep, even breaths. He imagined if he could see, then his breath would be coming out in small puffs of condensation.

Focusing his hearing, Dean tried in vain to make out any noise he might recognise, that would help him make sense of what was happening around him, where he was. But the only sound was his breathing and chattering teeth.

'Dean Winchester, the man who left me tied to a chair for _three _days.' Gordon Walker's voice rang out through the room, it had a small echo in the background, alerting Dean to the fact that he must be in a large room, a warehouse maybe. 'Huh, you can't even look at me can you?' He snorted derisively, 'maybe the guilt?'

'Funny pun there- asshole!' Dean spat snidely, turning his head wildly in hope he was somehow looking at Gordon. A sharp slap made his body shrink back, his shackled hands pulled taut against the chains, feet scuffing across the ground. He felt his blind eyes dart around in vain.

Another slap struck him again; he was over not seeing the hits coming. He had no time to roll with them, tense his body in response to the violent actions. Gordon kept sending them coming until finally his fingers wrapped tightly around his jaw, crushing his cheekbones with his vice like grip. Dean tried not to look around too much, or show how nervous he felt. The only noise in the room was his hitched breathing and Gordon's sneering breaths, hot on his face.

'Why aren't you looking at me?' Gordon waved a hand in front of Dean's face, drew it back and moved to strike the boy but there was no reaction. He smirked, and studied his face more intently. There were scars around his eyes, and for the first time he realised how blank and pale the infamous green orbs had become.

'This is just gold, how could I not know this?' Gordon's lips curled in to a smile. This could be so much fun. Walking away, he turned back around and glanced at Dean who was looking around wildly, his smile just widened, meeting his eyes with glee. Focusing his full attention back at the table he was now standing in front of, Gordon picked up a serrated knife.

For a minute Gordon just stood there, fingering the knife silently as he contemplated his next move. The whole idea of taking Dean was to seek vengeance on the man for leaving him tied to a chair for three days straight, letting the vampires escape and mocking him over it. He had planned on indulging himself in torturing the hunter, making him suffer the same pain and injury he had gone through in those three horrible days. He had been left pray to whatever came across him in the small house in the middle of nowhere.

Between rope burns, cramps and defecation, Gordon planned on inducing as much agony on the kid as he could. But now, things were changing and cogs were turning in his brain. Without his sight, the older Winchester would be helpless against anything Gordon had to throw at him. And that was the most tantalising thing of it all, the shock and surprise of pain.

'Oh Dean, you messed with the wrong person. This is going to be so much fun.' Gordon turned and faced the disabled hunter, using his own stealth skills to be as silent as he could. He raised the knife and stopped just short of Dean, hand widths away from his face; so close he could smell the coppery tang of blood as it leaked from his hairline. Holding his breath he raised the knife for the first entrance of the blade, and pressed it suddenly and violently in to the soft skin of the hunters exposed clavicle.

Dean's scream was music to Gordon's ears; he smiled as he twisted the knife inside the tattered flesh, rotating the serrated knife constantly as he slowly withdrew it from the wound. Slowly opening his eyes, savouring the sweet sound of the knife suctioning against the pull of skin, he grinned wider at the look on Dean's face. The look of complete lack of control as sweat ran down his face, blind eyes darting around wildly and his lips pressed in to a thin line to contain any more threats of a scream.

Blood was running thickly down Dean's chest, drenching the thin material around his naval. Gordon had been standing there for five minutes just watching, waiting. Finally the moment arrived when Dean visibly deflated where he hung, letting all the tension leave his body. Smirking, Gordon shook his head and wiped the knife across his sleeve. Holding his breath, he made sure Dean wasn't aware of his continued presence and slammed the knife in to the opposite clavicle. The knife tilted as it cracked against the bone, drawing out a long groan of pain from its victim. But still no desired scream, making Gordon force the knife deeper as he listened to the sharpened steel grind against bone. Dean simply groaned in pain.

The joy was wearing off quickly. Pulling the knife out with a grunt Gordon punched Dean in the stomach several fast times winding his victim. He would need something new now that the thrill of unexpected attacks had worn off; he had been hoping they would last longer. But the one time would have to do, that scream was enough to make him want more.

Panting heavily through the pain, Dean struggled to keep a hat on the pain and make sure he didn't give Gordon the satisfaction. The first scream had escaped unbidden but had helped him all the same, with that he had been able to muster the energy not to scream. _Where is Sammy? _

As much as Dean didn't want Sammy anywhere near this maniac who had used his little brother as a real life diagram on Vampiric instincts, which had led them to this situation in the first place; Dean had enough common sense to know he wasn't getting out of here without any help. Plus his mind kept going back to Sarah, seeing her hit the ground with blood running down her face quickly before his own lights clocked out for the day.

Shifting his weight on the chains, he quickly regretted the move as pain shot through his collarbones, especially the one that had the knife mark engraved deep in the bone. Dean cursed Gordon inwardly over that, he had almost lost the plot completely then and screamed every obscenity under the blue moon at him.

He had no idea what Gordon was planning now; the suspension was driving him insane. If the mad man wanted him dead then he should just get it over with. Dean never understood the moment of prolonging ones death. It was a useless and sadistic, most of the ghost they put down was men who had killed like that and held on to life by some sick thread after their death.

'If you're going to kill me can you just get it over and done with already?' Dean ground out, trying in vain to show some sign of bravado, but his voice betrayed him instead coming out weak and shaky from pain and blood loss.

'That's what I thought on the third day, when I watched the sky turn to dusk from my seat by the window, by that time I was so weak from hunger and dehydration I could barely lift my head from exhaustion, and the blood loss…' Gordon drifted off and looked down at the rope burn scars on his wrists; they had bled slowly for the three days he had struggled against them.

'I plan on making sure you suffer just as much as I did for those three days.' His fist struck Dean in the cheek, and he felt the pleasure of the bone cracking beneath his weight. Not a full break, but it was enough to make the blind eyes water.

'Dude I tied you to a chair, I could have left you there but I didn't. Some of us don't stoop so low in life.' Dean spat, wincing at the pain in his cheek. Gordon reached out and pressed his thumb against the bone and pressed down until Dean was grinding his teeth against the pain.

'Some people don't take too kindly to being tied to a chair in the middle of fucking nowhere for three days before someone has to come and rescue them.' Gordon growled back, hitting him again.

'How's your brother by the way? Maybe when I am done here I will pay him a little visit. Did he stick with you after you lost your sight, or did he abandon you just like your daddy did?' He taunted Dean, hoping to get a rise but the skilled young hunter kept his mouth shut tightly, teeth still slightly ground together from rage and pain. Even from where he stood, a few feet away now back by his weapons; Gordon could see the sweat running down Dean's face.

'You touch him and I will find a way to come back from the grave and haunt your ass until you die painfully!' Dean growled, thrashing against the chains again, he didn't care about the pain. Whenever someone taunted him over his brother he lost all control. It was a weakness, he knew, but that didn't stop him from reacting to it every time Sammy was used against him.

'Bit of a tender spot there huh, boy left you again did he?' Gordon walked back over with a new knife now; he drew it across the fractured cheek bone and smiled as a thin line of blood was left in the tip of the blades wake. Dean tensed up as the knife moved across his neck and rested atop the fabric of his undershirt. Already soaked through with the blood from the wounds in his collarbones, it clung to his clammy skin. Gordon made quick work of the shirt, cutting it down the middle so it hung from Dean's shoulders.

'Worked out how much of a dead weight you are, how much trouble comes with being around you.' Gordon pulled the shirt completely back and pressed the knife between the two lower ribs, just underneath the lung. 'Isn't that what happened Dean? Why else would you be alone with some woman in a bar at this time of the day, drowning away those lonely sorrows?' Before he could get a response, he plunged the knife in, giving it a final twist before pulling it out.

Standing back and studying his handy work, Gordon nodded appreciatively. This would be enough, tears were running down Dean's cheeks now and his skin was so pale from blood loss that there were freckles standing out on his cheeks. He wasn't even sure if he was conscious or not. He didn't care either way. Packing up his knives and other equipment he stuffed them inside his duffel. Moving over to the opposite wall of the warehouse he dragged across a heavy hose and turned it on full force, directing it at Dean's body.

Startling awake at the merciless hands of the cold high pressured water, Dean sputtered and gasped his way back to reality. His muscles cramped up immediately from the shock, causing him more pain. 'Hope you don't rot too quickly Winchester.'

**I do so love leaving you all with a cliff hanger. Please review!**

**Chapter 21**

6


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